No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
by MojoTheSpaceMonkey
Summary: Fan girls are a nightmare, but what if they were actually the elite kunoichi instead of weaklings. Our protagonist is about to find out just how bad life can be. OC x FemNaruto x FemSauske x Hinata
1. Chapter 1

No good deed goes unpunished

Chapter 1: Marking her territory

The sun was out, the birds were chirping, and people happily greeted each other in the streets as they traveled to their destinations. Konoha was alive, vibrant, and beautiful, truly a joy for its inhabitants to live in. The orphanage was no different, its inhabitants having all gone outside to enjoy the sun and play in the courtyard. All except for one room where the lights were turned off and the curtains drawn together in a vain attempt to keep the sun out for a few hours longer. Kuma growled to himself as the noises filtered into his room, stopping him from achieving the state of sleep he so desperately craved. The 10 year old boy grumbled to himself as he rolled over onto his stomach, pulling the pillow over his head in an attempt to find a comfortable position. This succeeded in muffling the noises enough to stop him from hearing his door slowly opening and a dark figure slowly sneaking across the hardwood floor towards his bed. A squeaky floor board was his only notice, giving him just enough time to roll over to his back before a heavy weight landed on his chest.

"Good morning Kuma! Welcome back!" A large smile greeted him, framed with whisker marks on the cheeks and squinting blue eyes. He groaned as he closed his eyes and lay back in bed, his body still sore from all the work the hospital had done to put him back together. Kuma had always been one of the largest kids for his age group, already pushing 61 inches in height with a decent set of muscles on him that wouldn't have looked out of place on a boy a few years older than him. His brown hair was kept cut short to his head, as a preventative measure of the orphanage to combat a recent lice break out. Unfortunately his recent injuries were having trouble holding up to the blonde's greeting.

He felt the weight on top of him shift, causing him to reopen his eyes. "This couldn't have waited Naruko? You know I'm still messed up. I just got back from the hospital last night." The blonde girl pouted as she slowly shook her head and eased a little more of her weight onto her legs while retaining her perch. She didn't mean to hurt him, but she was just so excited to see him again. She kept forgetting that her growth spurt had hit recently putting her at a respectable 55 inches tall with a bit of a weight gain to match. Her long blonde hair, that normally reached down to her shoulder blades, flew everywhere as she bounced up and down in excitement. He had been gone for over a week and the orphanage wasn't a kind place to her without him there to watch her back. No one would tell her where he had gone until the Hokage had come to visit her and mentioned her friend was in the hospital. He wouldn't tell her what happened though, just mentioning that Kuma had done something very brave and would be back later. She had waited patiently until morning, but now she didn't intend on moving until she heard the full story of her friend's disappearance.

Kuma sighed to himself as he looked up at the blonde from his awkward angle under her. "You really want to know what I've been up to? It's not a happy story." Naruko nodded her head so fast that he was afraid it would fall off for a moment. "Fine, do you remember last month when you got food poisoning again from the lunch that old lady made all of us?" At her confirmation, he continued. "Well I was the only one who didn't eat it since I wasn't hungry. I was bored so i went out to explore the town and watch a few street performers in the market district. There was a mini festival going on to celebrate those guys from Cloud coming over to talk to the Hokage. I didn't even start heading back here until it was dark out and the shops started closing up…"

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Kuma walked down the pathway towards the orphanage. He knew damn well that he should have been back before the sun went down but the place was seriously unwelcoming if you weren't one of the matron's "favorites." Those kids always were adopted first, and got the best food and clothes. The rest had to settle for hand-me-downs and leftovers from the night before. He knew the only thing stopping him from being one of the favorites was his friendship with Naruko, but he would be damned if he let someone else pressure him into doing anything he didn't want to. He had stopped 4 bigger children from picking on the blonde back when they were 6 years old and she had latched onto him like he was her knight in shining armor ever since. This was a major adjustment for him since he had always been a loner in the past, content to observe, rather than engage. The blonde girl had no concept of personal bubble and wouldn't let herself be more than 5 feet from him for most of their waking hours. Kuma had noticed his standard of living begin to worsen over the next few weeks, but it wasn't until one of the caregivers took him aside and laid out the ultimatum of either sacrificing the Uzumaki's friendship or he would get the same treatment that she did that he finally understood the situation. Naruko hadn't been any help, unable to give a reason why they hated her so much when he confronted her over the issue. In the end Kuma had chosen to stick with her, earning her eternal gratitude as the first friend she could always depend on no matter what. What he had kept to himself though was that his decision wasn't over friendship so much as a hatred of anyone thinking they could force him to choose what they wanted. Kuma had been fiercely independent for as long as he could remember and there was no worse way to anger him then trying to force him to do something.

Kuma reflected on this as he made his way down the dark path, wondering if he had made the right choice. Life sucked at the orphanage and unlike Naruko, he didn't have the Hokage to look after him. She had mentioned that the Hokage had started making plans to move her into an apartment soon, making him realize that he would be back alone again. He was distracted by his thoughts and almost missed the large man hurrying by in the other direction. Kuma was knocked on his butt as the man plowed through him, not even stopping to offer an apology. The boy sprung back to his feet, ready to tell the asshole off, only to see a large bag slung over his shoulder with a small hand hanging out of the hole and beating his lower back desperately. Kuma had seen the glint of a headband on the man marking him as a shinobi. The odds of him defeating such a man weren't even worth thinking about. At that moment, the hand stopped hitting the ninja, and reached back desperately towards the boy, begging him to help. Kuma cursed to himself as he picked up a rock in one hand, and a stick in the other, before running after the grown man.

The ninja was huffing from his flight so far and didn't hear the approach of the boy until he felt something bounce off his temple, momentarily making his world spin. A sharp pain behind his left knee brought him back to reality as he spotted a boy pushing a sharp stick into his leg. The man stumbled as he cursed to himself, unable to put his full weight on his injured leg. The boy had jumped back since the surprise attack and had started shouting his lungs out as he called for help. The ninja knew he already had a limited window to escape, but his mind clouded over with rage as he faced the little bastard that had hobbled him and ruined his plans. The boy would know pain before he killed him.

Kuma didn't even have time to blink before the ninja was on him. One second the man was over 15 feet away, and the next he had his hand wrapped around Kuma's neck as he lifted the boy up to stare him in the eyes while releasing his killing intent. The boy was unable to breath as he trembled from the pressure bearing down on him. The ninja threw Kuma down to the road before stomping on his left leg, breaking it and making the boy howl in pain. This was followed up by a kick to the ribs causing the boy to slide across the road as the ninja leisurely followed after him, the bag forgotten on the ground as a small figure pushed her way out. Kuma pushed himself up to a sitting position against a tree, wheezing as he tried to collect his breath through the sharp pain in his chest. His mind was in a panic, trying to think up anything he could do to stop his assailant, thoughts running through his head faster than he could grasp them. He was brought back to reality by a sharp pain in his shoulder where a kunai seemed to grow out of nowhere, pinning him to the tree. He looked up to see the ninja limping towards him while palming another kunai. There was a sick pleasure in the man's eyes, promising more pain yet to come.

As the man raised his hand to throw the weapon, a blur showed up behind him. He looked down to find a knife to his throat, held there by a man dressed in a black body suit with a white mask with a hawk's features painted on it. A team of 4 others surrounded the assailant as he was forcibly bound and gagged, before splitting off to help the victims. Kuma found himself laid back against the ground as two of the individuals hovered over him with their hands glowing with green chakra. His pain was already starting to dull as he began to breath easier. A shape came out of nowhere, crashing into his ribs. As the new pain began to fade again, the image resolved itself into a blue haired girl around his age. She was crying heavily as she thanked him over and over again, unable to stop. One of the individual's with monkey painted on his mask gently picked up the girl before disappearing with a flicker. Kuma struggled to get up, concerned as to what would happen to her now after he had just fought to rescue her, only to be gently pushed back down by his healers. "Rest." commanded a female voice from behind a cat faced mask. "You've done a wonderful job here and she is being taken home to her family now." Kuma gave a slight smile as he laid his head back, darkness beginning to fill his vision.

He felt like he had only taken a long blink, but when his eyes opened, he was in a white room laying on a bed. A sound of a throat clearing caused him to jump as lowered his gaze to find two men at the foot of his bed. One was obviously the Hokage, Kuma had seen him enough times during his visits to Naruko to identify him on site. The man seemed kind enough from how he carried himself and Kuma had heard nothing but good things from his friend so he decided to give the old man the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. "Kuma, you've done a great service to the village." the Hokage said with a gentle smile. "You quite possibly saved the life of Hinata Hyuga tonight with your bravery."

"Thank you Lord Hokage" said Kuma with a little shyness. "I didn't really have think before I reacted though. I'm just lucky to be alive."

"This is Hinata's father, Lord Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the clan" the Hokage introduced the man next to him. Kuma turned his head to the man dressed in white, only to be stunned as the man bowed deeply at the waist to the boy.

"You have my gratitude Kuma." said Hiashi as he came up from his bow, doing his best not to show any outward emotion. The boy looked so lost and confused as he lay bandaged up in the hospital bed. Hiashi felt for him, knowing he was just as young as his daughter. "If the Hyuga clan can do anything to repay you, all you need to do is ask." The boy gave a quick nod, still too stunned to form any words.

"Kuma" said the Hokage, drawing the boys attention back towards himself. "Can you please tell us what happened in your own words? And why you were out of the orphanage so late?" he added with a small frown. The boy's mouth opened up like a flood, telling the adults everything they wanted to know. The Hokage was sure that the boy wouldn't have been so forthcoming with information if it wasn't for the painkillers in his bloodstream. Naruko had mentioned how closed off the boy was when he had asked her for details about her new friend. He frowned to himself as he heard about the conditions in the orphanage, disappointed to hear that the caregivers obviously had favorites and also that they would treat someone so bad over his choice of friends. He was glad he had already started the process for removing Naruko from that environment.

Hiashi himself couldn't understand how the standards at the orphanage could have fallen so far. He was even more amazed at the bravery the boy had shown against the ninja. "Anbu" he had absentmindedly corrected the boy as he told of his rescuers. Kuma nodded as he continued the rest of the story. Hiashi couldn't stand the thought of the boy returning to such a place after he had saved his own daughter. "Would you like to be adopted into the Hyuga?" he offered without giving any real thought to the long term consequences. He noticed the Hokage wince to his side, obviously thinking of politics involved in such a request. The Hyuuga elders be damned though, he would not let the saviour of his family be left out in the cold.

Kuma couldn't believe how much his life had been turned upside down in one night. The offer was a generous one, but was nowhere near what he was looking for. The question now was how to possibly express that without offending one of the most powerful clans in the village. "Thank you Lord Hyuga" he said while inclining his head as far as his wrappings would let him. "I don't think that would be the best option though since I haven't ever heard of any non-Hyuga in your clan. Is it possible if you could help me move out on my own instead like my friend Naruko? I would give anything to be able to become my own man." He felt nervous as he sat under the two men's unreadable stares, all of his cards laid out on the table.

Hiashi slowly nodded as he considered the request. The Hokage smiled as well as he gave his support to the boy's request. They would make sure the necessary paperwork was filled out with the Hyuga as the boy's sponsor. Both Kuma and Naruko were set to start the academy in the next few months, so he would ensure that they were given a stipend to live off of. Both men thanked the boy before making a quick exit, noticing how his eyes had begun to flutter as his strength began to give out. Kuma fell asleep, content that his life was finally going in the right direction for once.

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Naruko didn't know how to react as Kuma finished his story. She had so many warring thoughts and emotions inside her head flying back and forth. She was happy that he was ok and that he would be leaving the orphanage too. She was sad at the same time because she wouldn't be around him nearly as often and didn't want to grow apart from her only friend. She even felt some anger at the thought of a ninja daring to lay his hands on "her' Kuma. Not to mention she felt bad for what this Hinata had to go through, but also didn't enjoy the thought of her hugging Kuma like that.

Kuma watched her emotions flicker across her face, amusing herself as he tried to guess at which each of them were. After a few minutes though he called out her name, gaining her attention again. "Now that you got what you want, do you mind getting off of my chest?" Naruko considered her options for a moment before grinning at him and shaking her head no. She was comfortable and enjoyed her new favorite spot. She wiggled her butt back and forth a bit to ensure he knew it, drawing a blush from the boy to her secret pleasure. Kuma knew that nothing good could come from this position, and resolved to sleep on his stomach from now on. With that thought, he turned his head and lightly bit down on the girl's thigh where it trapped his head, causing her to jump off of him like a scared cat. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he sat up, forcing himself to his feet to begin the day.

"Did the Hokage mention when you would be moving?" She asked, trying to dig for more information. She was curious to know if she would have to spend time there alone.

Kuma shook his head. "It'll be sometime next week, but the details are up in the air. The Hyuga will be helping me move and settle into an apartment complex that they own. The Hokage said he had a different location for you and the ANBU would be helping you move later today." He gave her a small smile as he threw on a shirt, hiding the small scar on his shoulder from the kunai. "Looks like you ended up escaping first." He turned around to the dresser to find himself a pair of pants, when he heard footsteps coming towards him. He felt her body press up against him as her arms circled his chest.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you there for me" she mumbled into his back as she tried to hide her tears. She couldn't keep the quiver out of her voice no matter how hard she tried.

He felt the wet spot forming on the back of his shirt as she hugged him. "You know this isn't a goodbye right?" he asked as he rolled his eyes at her. He felt her perk up, but still not loosen her hold. "We're starting the ninja academy in the next month. You'll be seeing me every damn day, all day again." God, he had depressed himself a little bit at that realization. There was to be no escape from the blonde for years to come. Her grip lightened for a second, before hardening again.

"But what about all that time before the academy starts? And what about after class?" She pressed her face back into his shirt as she waited for an answer.

'FUCK!' he shouted in his head, realizing exactly what she wanted to hear. "Fine, you can come over to my new place…" he said through gritted teeth. Her hands finally let go of him as she whooped with glee.

"I knew you wanted me around." she shouted as she ran towards the door. "I'll see you after we both move."

Kuma took his shirt off as examined the wet spot on the back of it. There were two large wet spots next to each other along with a snot trail in a half moon shape below it making one of the world's nastiest smiley faces ever. He threw the shirt into the hamper before he turned the lights back off and crawled into bed again, trying to forget today ever happened.

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Today was going to be the day that he started really taking control of his life. Naruko had left 24 hours ago with her ANBU escort and Kuma finally had enough time to hear himself think. He had come to an uncomfortable realization about how close he had come to death with the foreign ninja and decided he didn't want to wait for the academy to teach him what they thought he should know. Kuma decided that he would decide what skill package he would use to make himself a better ninja. It would put himself a step ahead of all the other academy kids and clan kids who would have a predictable set of skills.

He had brought himself to the library minutes after it had opened, determined to not miss a moment that he could be using productively. The young boy walked towards the rows open for academy students, showing his new ID card to the librarian. He had it made the day before at the academy when he had officially registered for the upcoming classes. As he walked down the aisles, he realized just how lacking the information was that for people with out ninja training. He was able to find instructions for a few different fighting styles, as well as instructions on how to begin a physical training regime and meditation. As he turned towards the beginning of the aisle again intent on checking out his material, he noticed a girl about his age but a head shorter looking through the physical workout section. "Is there anything special you're looking for?" he asked. "I don't work here, but I just finished searching the area myself."

The girl looked at him for a moment, her dark eyes scanning over him as if she was debating something. She had black hair in a tight ponytail, and dark eyes with a mouth that looked like it had trouble forming anything besides a smirk or a pout. She chose a smirk this time as she slowly nodded to Kuma, stepping aside for him. "I'm looking for any dietary books you can find." she informed him. He set to work looking through the proper area and gathering the books in his arm. "I'm starting the academy soon" she said with pride, "and the other girls I know are already talking about how they are dieting to impress some boy. I'm planning to bring proof of how stupid they're acting if they want to make good kunoichi."

Kuma nodded in agreement as he finished gathering her books. He turned to see her going through his stack that he had left on the table, before turning back to him with a hint of respect in her eye. "I don't blame you" he said. "I would probably be doing the same thing if I heard someone spouting off some BS like that." They shared a smile as they gathered their books and walked to the front. "I'm joining the academy too, so I'll probably see you there." He waved at her as he walked off down the street, mind already occupied with his new work out strategy.

"I'm sure you will" she murmured as she watched him walk away. She'd be lying to herself if she said she wasn't at least a little interested in the strange boy. Being the daughter of a clan head meant that she had grown used to people trying to kiss her ass daily. Yet here was a boy her age that could care less about her identity, he hadn't even asked her name! He helped her just because he wanted to, and didn't expect anything in return. To make it even better, he was also working to grow stronger, not settling for where he was at now. Yet he didn't use their size difference as a reason to assume that he was more powerful either. Yes, she definitely would be following up with this boy at the academy.

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Kuma walked up the stairs to his new apartment, a carryout box of yakitori teasing his senses with how delicious it smelled. The Hyuga clan member had came by the orphanage earlier that day to give Kuma the key to his new apartment. The boy had wasted no time packing up his meager collection of clothing and personal items before leaving the orphanage without a backwards glance over his shoulder. The apartment was close to the hokage tower, as well as within quick walking distance of the academy. It was on the top floor of the building, allowing him to have vaulted ceilings. Truly he had lucked out when he had saved the heiress of the clan. Kuma had wasted no time in unpacking his belongings in the sole bedroom, before lounging in his living room reading one of the books he had checked out from the library. His stomach growled after a few hours though, leading him to head to the market for some takeout due to his kitchen being completely empty.

As he climbed the last flight of stairs, he spied a familiar blonde waiting for him outside of his door. Naruko was holding a wrapped up box out to him and sporting the biggest smile he had seen on her in years. "I can't wait to see your new place" she said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She shoved past him as soon as the door was unlocked, handing him the present as she entered his home. "I love it" she offered him with a grin as she walked around the kitchen and living room. He gave a small smile back, glad to see his friend enjoying herself as he moved to put the present on the kitchen table. He turned back around to emptiness though, unable to find the blonde. He wondered for a moment if she had already left, before he heard the sound of bedsprings coming from his room.

He groaned as he came around the corner, seeing the blonde rolling around in his bed, all of his blankets cocooned around her. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, unable to find a reason for her actions.

She reached up, asking for his hand. Once he offered it though, she pulled him down onto the bed with her. A brief wrestling match ensued, neither of them knowing the rules of the contest, just that it was important that they win. Kuma found himself once again laying on his back, with Naruko perched on her favorite spot on his chest smiling down at him. He couldn't understand how he could have possibly lost to the girl that was a head shorter than him, and not nearly as muscular. He had always had an overdeveloped musculature for his age group, the orphanage matron saying that it was from his father who came from the barbarian lands to the west of the elemental nations. The man hadn't been able to use his chakra like most of the population there, instead depending on their strength and weapons to get by. His mother had apparently been a physically small chunin with an overlarge chakra system that could spam ninjitsu all day. Both had been killed during the Kyuubi attack though, leaving him with at the orphanage. He had inherited his father's physical build though, so he had no idea how in the hell Naruko pulled out the strength that she did. He just knew that the girl could always seem to kick his butt all the way back from the day he met her.

Naruko didn't consider any of this though as she stared down at her best friend. All was right in the world, seeing as how she had dominated him again, and now she was planning on claiming her prize. "This is a nice sized bed" she complimented him as her gaze swept over it. "I guess I can share it with you since I feel so sorry for you being here alone all the time." She gave herself a victory pose, wiggling her butt on him again when he opened his mouth to protest. With his thought process completely thrown off by the blonde's shameless moves, Kuma was unable to say anything before she fell off to his side, grabbing 'her' new pillow and getting herself comfy on her side of the bed. He knew how lonely she got when she wasn't around him and he didn't have the heart to throw her out. Naruko sighed in contentment, happy that she was back with her best friend again.

Kuma leveraged himself up from the bed to go have his forgotten meal. He set aside 2 pieces of chicken in the refrigerator for Naruko when she woke up. As he ate, he pulled the present over and began to unwrap it. Inside were a selection of products for his bathroom. Kuma was confused though seeing as how most of the products weren't something he would ever go near, it wasn't like he needed conditioner, a nail file, ect… He sighed to himself as he held up 'his and her' toothbrushes and holder. Apparently Naruko had this planned out from the moment he had moved out.

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Kuma slid the door open to his new classroom, taking a second to look around as he entered. He had not slept well the night before, dreaming on fighting the foreign ninja again, but this time the man was able to finish the job. This led to Kuma being up before the sun and letting him have plenty of time to eat, get dressed, and make it to the academy well before class started. He found his name posted on the signboard outside and used it to locate his class number before heading in. Only 2 other children were already in the classroom, a girl with pink hair who perked up at the door opening only to show disappointment at Kuma entering, and a boy wearing a high collared shirt and sunglasses who offered Kuma a nod which was returned. Kuma climbed the stairs until he found a desk one row from the back corner that sat 3 people. It gave him a good field of observation of the rest of the classroom. He pulled out the book he had gotten on meditation and began to read it. He had put off the mental discipline in favor of the physically demanding skills, but was regretting it now that he needed a solution to his nightmares.

As he read, the classroom started to gradually fill up. Kids found their friends and choose seats together, with the loners filling in the empty single seats left over. Kuma was unaware that he was giving off an aggressive vibe, prompting others to find other seats until someone came in who immediately recognized him. He heard hurried footsteps climbing the stairs as looked up from his book. It took him a moment to recognize the girl in front of him as the same one he had rescued that terrible night. She was dressed in a traditional white kimono, obviously trying to put forward a good impression on the first day of school. Her blue hair framed her face containing a large pair of lavender tinted pupiless eyes. She had immediately grabbed the aisle seat next to him and had began to slowly scoot it closer as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She desperately wanted to greet her savior but had no idea how to begin such a conversation. Her nervousness grew worse and worse as she began to shrink back into her oversized coat, until she heard his voice address he quietly. "Hello Hinata. You look much better now compared to the last time I saw you. How have you been?"

"Hello Kuma" she said in a near whisper, looking around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "I've been doing a lot better thanks to my father and Lord Hokage. They called in a few favors to get Lady Tsunade to come back to Konoha for a few months to help take care of me. She's been helping me realize that it wasn't my weakness that lead to the kidnapping and I shouldn't be afraid to get back out in the world."

"She's right" Kuma agreed. He had gotten a little more of the story about what happened that night from the branch clan members that had helped him move into his new place. They were all very thankful that he had saved Hinata for them. "You can't stop bad things from happening. You can keep training to get strong enough to stop it from happening next time though" he offered to the girl.

Hinata turned back towards the front of the room as she contemplated Kuma's words. She needed to get stronger for herself, no one else was going to do it for her. "Thank you Kuma" she whispered to him as the classroom door opened again.

Kuma watched as the black haired girl he had met in the library walked into the room like she owned it. 'What are the odds…' he thought to himself. The way she carried herself just screamed 'high maintenance' as opposed to the calm and professional vibe she gave off in the library. Her eyes scanned the room for a moment before coming to rest directly on him as a small smirk grew on her face. She casually made her way up the stairs to claim the empty seat next to him, filling out the row. Hinata gave her a brief greeting as she sat down, only for the girl to look down her nose at the Hyuga heiress without saying a word. Kuma snorted and shook his head at the drama unfolding before him before the first day had already begun. "You have a problem?" asked the dark haired girl as she leaned into the boy's space.

Normally her opponent would wilt and back down at this point in the argument. It was to her surprise that the boy barely even spared her a glance before turning his attention back to the front of the room as the instructors began speaking. "Nothing worth talking about" he said dismissively in a low voice, ending the conversation as far as he was concerned. The girl didn't consider the matter closed though. She only found herself more intrigued with this rare male who viewed her the same as everyone else and considered himself her equal, if not better. She subtly began scooting her chair towards his, intent on getting closer to him to discern his secrets. She heard a light shuffling causing her to look down the row past the boy. The Hyuga girl seemed to have the same idea as she moved closer as well.

Kuma was trying to tune out everything around him as he started to withdraw into his mind. It was the first step in the instructions from the meditation book. He could hear everything around him, yet at the same time nothing, as he began to ignore all of the distractions. His head flew back as a piece of chakra enforced chalk bounced off of his nose, causing his eyes to fly open in pain as the world rushed back to meet him. "Is there a reason that you're already falling asleep in the first day of my class Kuma?" asked the instructor with a scar across his nose.

"I'm sorry Iruka sensei." Kuma apologized as he bowed his head. "I was reading the beginning guide to meditation before class started, and tried to do the first step while listening to you. I seem to have gone too far, too fast though." he said with a small frown as he tried to figure out where he went wrong. Iruka gave him a hard stare before turning away and returning to the lesson.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kuma asked as he noticed the girls were having a staring match as they sat on each side of him, brushing against his sides from their close proximity. He was fairly sure he could feel at least one hand on his thigh. He vowed to himself to never attempt meditating in a crowded environment again if he couldn't even detect his personal bubble geting violated so badly.

He was just about to push both girls chairs back from himself when the class room door flew open with a bang. Naruko laid panting against the door frame, exhausted from her sprint all the way to school. "I'm sorry sensei" she apologized. "I wasn't able to sleep last night and didn't hear my alarm go off." Kuma had been a royal ass and forced her to sleep back in her own apartment the night before, saying he needed to get a good rest to be ready for school. She hadn't been able to get comfortable tough without her favorite source of body heat and had tossed and turned all night.

Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. There was one every year that had to start out like this. "Just find a seat." he muttered in exasperation while gesturing towards the rows. He turned back to the black board, hoping to not fall any more behind on the first years lesson.

Naruko took her time scanning the class, looking for one person in particular. After a moment, she spotted her best friend. The sandy blonde haired boy was looking extremely uncomfortable, sandwiched between two hussies that couldn't seem to take a hint. She stomped up the steps, grabbing everyone's attention as they turned to watch the drama unfold. Almost visible intent to hurt each other traveled between the three of them. Kuma was frozen in his seat, stunned and beginning to scare at being in the middle of the brewing fight. "Excuse me" she addressed the two girls in the bitchiest way available, "but your in my seat." Both of the other girls were stunned at the audacity of the obviously lower class female trying to challenge them. They scooted back into their chairs, subtly bracing themselves. Both were unwilling to give up their seats next to the most interesting man they had ever known. Much to both of their surprise though, Naruko passed right by Hinata before stopping in front of Kuma, turning around, and planting herself directly in his lap.

Hinata stared a hole through the blonde sitting on her savior, her timidness all but forgotten. "My name is Hinata Hyuga, heiress to the Hyuga clan" she introduced herself to tramp, "and you're sitting on my savior." According to her cousin, fate had destined her to be with Kuma since he had risked everything to save her. She had no intention of letting either of these girls get in between herself and her goal.

The dark haired girl put her hand on Kuma's shoulder, nonverbally marking her territory. "Well i'm Satsuki Uchiha, heiress to the Uchiha clan" she said as she tossed her hair over her shoulder with a flick. She looked down at the boy in her hand, before tightening her grip as she looked back up at the other girls. "I found this one and have decided he has my interest. You both can move on to find someone more at our level."

Naruko opened up an eye, taking a quick glance at the black and bluette girls hovering over her. "He's been mine for years ladies, and I don't share." She leaned back into her friend, marking her territory in a way better than words ever could represent. Both girls rose to their feet, unable to believe what had just happened. Naruko just snuggled farther back into her favorite seat. All was right in the world again. "You can begin again Iruka sensei." she offered to the stunned chunin at the front of the room. She leaned back with a huge grin on her face, enjoying the heartbeat of her best friend.

Kuma whimpered to himself, a single tear traveled down his cheek as he stared desperately at Iruka, begging the man with his eyes to save him. Iruka shook his head as he offered up a silent prayer for the boy, before he turned back to the black board. 'Not my problem' he thought to himself as he ignored the girls' voices raising behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

No good deed goes unpunished

Chapter 2:

Iruka gave a sigh of relief as the bell rang signaling the end of the day's classes. This was his third year teaching at the academy since he became a chunin, and he could honestly say this class had the potential to be his worst one to date by far. The tension in the room coming from the "Three Princesses" as he had labeled them in his mind had begun to affect the rest of the classroom as the day went on. The rest of the kids had grown quieter and more withdrawn, intent on not provoking the ire of the girls. This was the opposite of what he needed, kids participating and engaging each other was how he was able to teach his curriculum. The problem for him though was that he couldn't do much to really discipline the three due to clan politics. Hinata and Satsuki were both daughters of the their current clan heads, and Naruko was the favorite of the Hokage himself. This left him in a bind since moving any of the girls to a different class would be perceived as a slight to either their clans or his leader. He was even more reluctant to force Kuma out of his class since the poor boy technically hadn't done anything wrong, even though he was the target of the three. This would take some deep thinking to find a solution.

The chunin turned from the class as they began to stir, intent on cleaning off the blackboard from the notes he had copied on it through the day. 'Now where did those erasers go?' he asked himself as he scanned the area. His attention was drawn back to an escalating argument between Naruko and Satsuki, both holding on to an arm of Kuma and claiming that they would be spending the afternoon with him. The normally docile Hyuga princess was right there as well, her voice interjecting into the group as well as she made sure she was included in whatever pans were made. 'Now isn't that something…' he thought to himself as he watched the three as the rest of the class stopped what they were doing to view the spectacle. He noticed Kuma tense in his seat before the boy slipped his hands into his pockets and came out with something cupped in each of palms. Iruka considered stopping the fight but decided to hold back, intent on seeing what the boy was going to do.

Kuma stood up suddenly, interrupting Naruko's tirade about the girls interrupting her snuggle time as he shrugged off both girls arms from his clothing. "Secret Ninja Art: White Escape" shouted the boy as he slammed his hands together, each containing an eraser from the classroom. The resulting chalk cloud encompassed the better part of the classroom, causing everyone to close their eyes as they began coughing. A pitter patter of steps was heard before the classroom door slammed open. As the cloud cleared itself away, Iruka couldn't help but grin as the rest of the class noticed that Kuma had escaped. Naruko shouted in surprise before sprinting out the door, followed closely by Satsuki and Hinata, each intent on finding the object of their interest first.

Iruka leaned against the front of his desk watching the rest of the class file out as they began to start talking again now that the danger had passed. As Sakura and Ino finally left the classroom, already gossiping about how cute Kiba was with his puppy, Iruka rapped his knuckles against the side of his desk. "It's safe to come out now" he said, watching as Kuma pulled himself out from under it, still looking a little bit like a cornered small animal.

"Thank you Sensei" said the boy as he moved back to his chair to collect his library book from under it. He had grabbed a few rags on his way up the stairs and had already started cleaning up the chalk residue from the mess he had caused earlier. Iruka had to admit to being impressed with Kuma so far. The boy had managed to pay attention through class, even with all the interference going on around him. He hadn't added to the problem, and even showed a good work ethic by remaining behind to clean up after himself.

Iruka took a rag from the cleaning pile and moved up the rows to join Kuma in wiping down the desks. "I don't think meditation is going work for you with all the distractions." he said, grinning as he watched the boy roll his eyes at his observation. "I can help you figure out what you need to do if you're really intent on learning and growing on your off time though."

Kuma looked up, startled that his teacher was willing to go so far out of his way to help him. "I would like that sensei." They cleaned silently for a few minutes before the boy looked up again, unable to curb his curiosity enough to stop from asking his next question. "I don't get it sensei." At Iruka's raised brow, he continued, "Why are you going so far out of your way to help me? I'm not different from any of the others here."

Iruka stared at the wall for a second, a sad expression on his face for a few moments before he lightened up again. "I researched the profiles of my students the day before class started to get to know them better. I realized how much we both had in common and couldn't help but feel for you." Seeing Kuma's questioning look, he decided to elaborate. "We both lost our parents to the Kyuubi and were raised in the foster system. The only difference was that I was close to the age of entering the academy when it happened so I remember it better than you. Even though we both had to be independant early on, I had others step up to help me and I want you to have the same opportunities."

Kuma could see that the man was being completely honest with him, and realized he finally had someone willing to help him. "Thank you sensei" he said, unwilling to look up from his task and show that he was holding back tears from the conversation. "I need all the help I can get" he mumbled, only to be startled by a hand landing on his shoulder.

He looked up to see his sensei smile at him, before both returned to their task. "Go ahead and tell me what you have planned already for training, and we'll see if we can revise it" instructed Iruka as he went back to the front of the board and grabbed a piece of chalk. They spent the next half hour going over Kuma's plans, Iruka tearing them almost completely apart as he pointed out that most of the boys study subjects required instructors for good reason. Fighting styles required someone to show how it was done the right way lest you commit the wrong moves to muscle memory. Ninjutsu could be learned on his own, but he'd need the basic knowledge of chakra and hand signs first, and supervision was recommended for beginners.

"Lets just have you work on chakra control to start out" Iruka offered as a way to start his pupil off right. "You remember how we accessed our chakra in class right?" At the boys nod, he continued, "well the fact is that girls are born with better control, while men are usually born with a larger chakra pool inside of themselves. They need to work on increasing their pool's size through practice, while you need to practice control to better use what you already have. Starting out in this will make life way easier for you down the road."

"Ok sensei" Kuma said, starting to get excited at the prospect of something practical that he could do. "What do you want me to do?" He watched Iruka cross the room to the open window, reaching out to pluck two leafs from the tree.

"Here you go" Iruka said as he handed Kuma one of the leaves. "Now watch." Iruka placed the leaf on the center of his forehead, taking his hand away to show the leaf sticking to his skin. "The idea is that I'm using chakra to stick the leaf to my head with the tenketsu points on my forehead. Once you complete this step, put another leaf on a different part of your body and try to keep it stuck as well. The idea behind it is to train you in controlling chakra from all the different points in your body until it becomes a subconscious act. Later exercises teach you to control flow and fluctuation, but we'll go over that another day. Come back when you think you have it figured out and show me. Now get out of here and enjoy your day" he said, slapping the boy on the shoulder as he went back to his desk. He was surprised by a sudden hug around his waist from the his pupil. It ended almost as soon as it began before he heard the running steps start to fade into the distance. He smiled to himself as he gathered up his lesson plan, happy that he was able to help someone start their ninja career out in the right direction.

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Naruko panted lightly as she laid back against a tree, enjoying the shade it provided her as a breeze blew through the training ground. She had divested herself of her orange jacket and pants, leaving herself in a white t-shirt and tight black shorts combo as she tried to cool off from running over half of Konoha looking for her best friend. It annoyed her that he felt the need to escape from her was well instead of the two hussies that were trying to muscle in on her Kuma time. She had spent years with him already getting to where they were now. Who did they think they were to just act like he belonged to them after only a day?!

Kuma was the one steady thing she had in her life as she was growing up. It was why she latched on to him so quickly after he saved her from her bullies. The other kids she had been friends with all had eventually turned their backs on her as the adults that hated her got to them. She wasn't blind to their feelings, but she didn't put much stock in them since she didn't know why they hated her so much and therefore couldn't do anything to fix it. Kuma though, had never turned his back on her. She had watched broken hearted as the caregivers had taken him aside and explained how the world worked, sure that she had lost another friend. To her surprise though, he had denied them and chose to stick with her. No one had ever done that before. You couldn't put a price on how special it made her feel to know that her knight in shining armor who had saved her decided that he would continue to stand by her even at his own detriment. Kuma had gained a friend for life that day, and Naruko was confident that she had found her soulmate. She wasn't exactly sure what the term ment, but she had overheard two older kunoichi talking about it, and it sounded so right to describe her and Kuma.

She came out of her thoughts as she heard someone land near her. She opened an eye, only to curse her bad luck as she saw Hinata walking to the stream nearby, unaware that her rival was under the tree. The bluette had loosened the sash of her kimono allowing the top half to fall away, leaving her in a tank top. She scooped up some of the river water, splashing it on her face and in her hair in an attempt to cool off. She spun around as she heard a familiar voice speak from behind her. "You know" Naruko drawled "I was already here before you. Are you trying to lay claim to my resting spot like you are my friend?"

Hinata pushed herself to her feet before stalking toward the blonde girl who was rising as well. "I haven't even known you for a day and I already can't understand how someone as wonderful as Kuma can stand to be around you!" She felt strangely relieved after saying that, like some of her frustration had evaporated from her. The normal Hyuuga way was to internalize their frustration until they were ready to unleash it later, but Lady Tsunade had encouraged her to deal with her stress as it happened. 'It looks like my lady was right again' Hinata reflected to herself as Naruko bristled at her using Kuma in her insult.

"Just because your pampered little butt was saved by him doesn't mean you own him!" Naruko leaned in to Hinata's personal space, poking her in the chest with her index finger. "You act like just because you're from some upper class clan, you deserve to have him and I should step aside for you. You're no better than I am."

"Actually" a third voice came from above them "I'm higher up in class than both of you. And I don't see why either of you can lay claim to him when I obviously deserve his attention." The voice resolved into Satsuki as she dropped from the tree limb she had been resting on. "And for your information blondie, _I_ was here first, not you. So you can take your bullshit and go back to that rats nest you call home." She locked eyes with her clearly inferior opponent, trying to get across how out of her league she was.

Hinata had grown mader and mader as she was first ridiculed by both of these bitches, then ignored as they began to have a stare down with each other. She used her hand to bat Naruko's hand away from herself, before giving the blonde a shove. This unbalanced Naruko as she stumbled backwards, her flailing arm elbowing Satsuki in the face. The Uchiha princess raised her hand to her nose, bringing it back into view to reveal blood. With a shriek of anger she hurled herself at Naruko, sending them both into Hinata as all three of them fell into the dirt and punches began to fly. Satsuki and Hinata's clan training began to show as they were able to land more punches to Naruko and each other, but the blonde's street fighting style kept her in the game. Naruko's punches hurting a lot more with her higher strength.

Before the brawl could escalate to anything further, a throat was cleared to the side. The girls paused, looking up to find the cat faced ANBU, along with Itachi Uchiha and Neji Hyuuga watching the spectacle with barely hidden amusement. "I hate to break up this obviously friendly sparring competition, but it's time for Naruko to get home." The girls recognized the out given to them by the woman and moved to take advantage of it. They sprang up, redressing themselves and smoothing out wrinkles in their outfits.

"My thanks for the exercise ladies" Hinata offered up as she moved to take Neji's arm in her own. She ignored his bemused expression as she tossed a parting shot over her shoulder. "We'll have to continue this later on when you get enough experience to provide a challenge."

Satsuki shover her hands in her pockets as she turned towards her home, Itachi following after her wearing a very un-Uchiha open grin. "That's going to be unlikely" she called back, "no one is ever able to match up to my clan's level. But by all means, keep trying!"

Naruko watched her to rivals start to walk away, processing what the had said and what they had implied. She had always favored the more direct approach. "Whatever you say you stuck up bitches!" She ignored Cat as the ANBU face palmed behind her at her charge's lack of tact. "Come back anytime you want me to kick your asses again."

She was slapped upside the head, stopping her from continuing on by the ANBU. "Knock it off. You just got in a fight with two of the major clans' heiresses. Don't cause any more trouble for yourself. Now get walking."

Naruko pouted as she began to walk, before she was picked up by her shirt and set in a new direction. "But I want to go to Kuma's apartment. He has to be home by now."

"Forget it" Cat said as she gave the girl a light shove to get her moving. "That's the last thing anybody needs. Go home Naruko." The blonde walked off, her mind ablaze with future pranks. Those princesses and the ANBU would both be getting taught a lesson in the near future.

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Kuma had damn near exhausted himself trying to make the leaf stick to his head since he had gotten home. He had spent more chakra then he ever even noticed he had before. The leaf did seem to want to stick for little longer every time he did it though so he kept at it. His body felt so tired, that even though he was hungry, it just wasn't worth pushing himself up to get anything. He barely managed to throw on a pair of shorts, not needing anything else due to the summer heat, before he collapsed on his bed.

Kuma woke up in the middle of the night to a familiar hand pulling him from his side, onto his back. "I didn't think you were coming over today" he mumbled, half awake. A body lay down next to him, draping her arm over his chest and intertwining her legs with his. Naruko used his shoulder as her pillow as she wrapped his arm around her waist, smiling as he reflexively pulled her closer.

"Nothing will keep me from you" she mumbled as she tightened her grip, borrowing her face into his side until she was comfortable. He noticed something was different, but his brain wasn't able to figure out what before he passed back out again, with the familiar scents of ramen and cinnamon from her shampoo filling his nose.

The doorbell woke Kuma up again a few hours later. He slowly cracked opened his eyes, observing that it must have just become dawn judging by the low amount of light peeking in around his curtains. A low snore to his side reminded him about his bed's other occupant. He sat up, stretching out a kink in his lower back that he had developed playing human pillow for his friend. A flash of skin caused him to turn his head to observe his friend, only to have his brain short circuit at the sight. Naruko had curled up in a ball at his side, her arm still possessively curled around his waist. Kuma hadn't realized it during the night, but Naruko had decided that her new sleepwear ensemble would be a simple tank top and a pair of panties. Even if he wasn't that interested in girls yet, he couldn't help admit that the view was nice.

Before he could think anymore on the situation, the doorbell rang again, prompting him to leap out of bed and walk down the hall to answer it. He opened the door, revealing Hinata dressed in a light jacket and ninja pants. She was holding a covered basket with one had while her other was raised to knock a third time. The girl squeaked as she dropped her hand to her side, before lowering her head in a light bow. "Good morning Kuma! I thought I could make us breakfast before school and …." she trailed off as her face became red and her eyes traveled over his body.

Kuma wondered what was wrong with her before a breeze against his chest caused him to shiver, making him realize that he hadn't put on a shirt yet. "Thank you for the offer Hinata, but why do something like this? And how did you even know where I live?"

Hinata could see that Kuma wasn't going to simply suggest her offer as she had hoped, so she took matters into her own hand. She brushed past Kuma as she walked into his apartment, secretly enjoying having her arm brush against his bare chest as she did. 'Those two wish they got to do something as daring as that' she thought triumphantly to herself as she scanned the different doors in the hall, taking note of where his bedroom was before heading for the kitchen. "I just asked my clan member where he helped you move to" she offered up, answering the easy question first. "And I'm doing this because I want to. You saved me from a fate worse than death. My mother always told me that if you care about someone, you should go the extra mile for them" she smiled coyly over her shoulder before walking into the kitchen.

Kuma was unable to muster a response as he grabbed a sweater from the coat hook, throwing it on as he made his way down the hallway. He knew how to tell people to get the hell out of his room, living in an orphanage made sure of that. Unfortunately, he didn't have the social skills to figure out how to tell someone that he didn't want something nice done for him. He wandered slowly towards the toor to the kitchen, leaning on the frame as he watched Hinata work. The girl had taken off her jacket and thrown on an apron, moving around his kitchen as if she had lived there for years and had the layout memorized all ready. "Why don't you go and get cleaned up while I cook?" she offered without looking up from her work.

He shrugged to himself before walking down the hall towards the bathroom, grabbing a towel and a change of clothes off of the dryer on the way. "This morning keeps getting weirder and weirder" he mumbled to himself. He turned the water on in the shower, letting it warm up before stepping in. 'I can't help but feel like I forgot something important' he thought as he began to lather up.

Hinata had finished the prep work for the food, and had begun frying up omelets, the scent wafting through the house. She heard a pair of shuffling footsteps enter the kitchen behind her as they moved towards the table. 'That was a quick shower' she thought to herself as she put the food onto the plate and began to cut it. "The food's almost ready" she said, receiving a mumbled response back. She laughed to herself, comparing the Kuma's wake up habits to her Neji's. 'Boys just can't seem to get it together before breakfast' she giggled as she grabbed the plates, turning towards the table.

Naruko had been woken from her favorite dream involving her and Kuma wittng together on top of the Hokage Monument. She was the new hokage and he was her loyal assistant catering to her every need. She giggled to herself as she cracked her eyes open, realizing that she was snuggled up against Kuma's pillow, the boy was nowhere in sight. Her momentary panic was alleviated when she smelled the wonderful scent coming from the kitchen. She loved it when Kuma cooked, she always managed to weasel some of it for herself. The fact that it was his making it taste ten times better to her.

She climbed out of the bed, stretching to her tip toes before shuffling off down the hallway. The blonde hadn't woken up fully yet, her eyes slitted enough to allow her to dodge shapes, but not much else. Naruko entered the kitchen, making her way over to the small table with two chairs set against the far wall. She jumped into her favorite chair, her head laying on her arms on the table surface. "The food's almost ready" she heard from Kuma, his voice sounding strangely high pitched. She grumbled at how chipper he sounded, receiving a giggle in return.

Her brain jolted awake at the giggle, trying to understand what she had just heard. The Kuma she knew laughed sometimes, she had even heard him snort before, but she had never once heard him giggle. She furiously rubbed at her eyes, bringing everything into focus as the blur resolved into Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress was just as surprised as she was, this being the last place she expected the blonde to show up. "What the hell are you doing here!?" they shouted at the same time. Their glares so focused and heated that anything between them could have caught fire.

Hinata couldn't believe the skank in front of her had the audacity to walk around in Kuma's apartment in a tank top and panties like she owned the place! Her relative had assured her that Kuma was living alone. "I'm here to cook Kuma breakfast. He needs to eat well to be successful at training. Why the hell are you here and where the hell are your clothes?" She put the plates down on the table just in case she needed her hands if the situation escalated again.

Naruko grinned smugly at her, knowing that she had the upper hand in this conversation from the start. "I'm here every night. Kuma is my teddy bear and I can't sleep if I'm not with him." She turned sideways, popping her butt towards Hinata and showing off her panties. "I'm dressed like this every night. We're just at that level of comfort where we can go around like this in his apartment."

Hinata saw red at this point, unable to see a way out of the conversation, but damn sure that she wouldn't let this bitch win. "You think you have something that special with him that you're the only one who can dress like that? Kuma saved my life and I feel safe and secure around him!" She stripped off her apron and pants, leaving her an a similar state of attire to Naruko. "I bet you he enjoys me like this way more than you."

Naruko couldn't believe what was happening in front of her. The Hyuuga princess had actually called her bluff and joined her state of undress! What if she was right about who Kuma like more? 'We'll see how she likes this then' she thought as she picked up the plate on her side of the table. Hinata watched as Naruko reached towards the food she prepared for Kuma, unable to believe the blonde's audacity. The Uzumaki tore off a part of the omelette, before flicking it like a throwing star, nailing the Hyuuga right in the center of her forehead. "I bet he likes me better simply because I'm cleaner" she said grinning at her opponent. Hinata's nostrils flared as she slowly reached for the other plate, not breaking eye contact with her opponent.

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Kuma whistled a tune to himself as he walked out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to head to the academy. He had a towel draped over his head, drying off the last of the moisture from his hair as he made his way down the hall from memory. He heard a shriek coming from the kitchen, prompting him to pull the towel back as he entered the doorway. A piece of egg whizzed past his right eye, barely missing him and prompting him to take cover back in the hall. This time he cautiously poked his head around the door frame, his jaw dropping at the site. His kitchen was trashed, food was splattered in random places from the floor to the ceiling. Hinata had overturned his table and had it facing away from the door, her back towards him as she readied her next attack at the blonde. Said blonde had built herself a tower out of the counter and chairs that she was perched on like a monkey, dodging everything sent her way.

Kuma wanted to cry as he stared at the disaster zone that his kitchen had become. Yet his anger never made it off the launch pad as he looked back at the girls again, finally realizing just exactly what they had on. 'I can get Naruko's outfit since she doesn't care about others' opinions even on a good day, but I don't see how Hinata could possibly decide that this was a good idea…" Both girls had stopped dead in their tracks at the boy's appearance, unable to utter a sound in their embarrassment, let alone give a possible reason for the situation. "I'm not dealing with this right now, it's too early…" the boy said as he walked towards the front door, grabbing his pack on the way out. "Just lock the door when you leave" he said before slamming the door, causing Naruko's tower to collapse and sending the blonde to the floor.

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Kuma sighed to himself as he left the front door of is building, making his way into the morning pedestrian traffic. He couldn't wait until he could avoid the crowding and start roof jumping like the rest of the ninja forces. He made a note to ask Iruka about it after class that day. He looked up from his pack to check his path down the road, stopping short as he spied his third stalker leaning against the wall next to the sidewalk as if she was waiting for someone. Satsuki was wearing the traditional Uchiha shorts and shirt combo, but had done her hair up new clip that was a shade of green that seemed suspiciously the same color as his eyes... "Satsuki" he greeted warily as she pushed off her spot and joined him walking. "Please tell me that you won't be surprising me with anything this morning. I don't think I can take any more this morning."

"Don't think so highly of yourself" said the girl as she discreetly removed her hand from her pouch as she walked next to him. She would save that for later today. "You should be happy that I'm allowing you to be seen in my presence. I just wanted to ask you about how your training was going at home. I want to compare results." Kuma nodded happily as he started describing the leaf exercise he was doing much to her amusement. Her clan hd started her on the same method years ago once she was old enough. She congratulated him just the same though, happy that he was working hard to advance himself. She had learned from her father when it was time to play the good cop and when it was time to play the bad one.

They arrived at school with time to spare, giving them the pick of the seats. Kuma decided that he would save himself the pain this time and took the seat in the far corner. Satsuki daintily placed herself in the only chair next to him, watching as he took out a leaf and stuck it to his forehead. A moment later, his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he had skipped eating that morning. He almost dropped his leaf in embarrassment, looking anywhere but at Satsuki. "You didn't eat this morning did you?" she asked as she started rummaging through her pouch. At his nod, she snorted in amusement, "I bet it was those two girls fault wasn't it?" She grinned triumphantly at his second nod, before pulling out a rice ball. "Here you go" she said, handing it over to the grateful Kuma. "I cooked extra just in case."

"Thank you!" Kuma said unable to suppress his grin. "You just made my day." he began to eat as the rest of the class filled up and Iruka came in. He waved at his favorite teacher, receiving a nod in return from the scarred man.

'Now isn't this interesting' Iruka thought to himself as he watched his favorite student not resist the Uchiha's advances as she moved closer while Kuma was busy eating. He grinned as she took the boys free hand in hers while leaning her head on his shoulder. Kuma looked a little uncomfortable, but tolerated her presence without any fight. Happy at the lack of drama, Iruka began to call roll for the class. As he finished and turned towards the chalkboard, the door was thrown open as Naruko and Hinata tried to squeeze past each other into the room. Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, before pointing at two empty seats in the front of the classroom. The girls sullenly made their way towards the seats before stopping short, seeing their rival and the target of their affection. The Uchiha Princess gave a small smirk of triumph as she leaned on Kuma's shoulder, the boy in his own world happily eating his breakfast and keeping his leaf up. "Get moving." Iruka's voice snapped them out of their stupor. They sat down, throwing glares back at Satsuki when ever they could. Iruka opened his lesson plan to begin the lecture, before noticing a piece of what looked like egg hanging from Naruko's hair. Hinata had a few smaller pieces on her clothing as well. 'Nope' he thought to himself. 'Not gonna ask.' He turned back to the board and began speaking.


	3. Chapter 3

No good deed goes unpunished

Chapter 3:

"What the hell was that?" was Kuma's first thought as he pushed himself up onto his elbows, his lower body remaining in the dirt. His lower back ached as it began to register the hit that had just blindsided him as he exited the building for lunch. A month had passed since the start of the school year and the boy had become more adept at extracting himself from which ever girl was sitting next to him in class. Today he had quietly left the room as Naruko and Hinata were lectured by Iruka for picking a fight with Satsuki, intent on meeting his new friends Choji, Shino, and Shikamaru outside for lunch under their favorite tree. Choji was waving him over as he walked down the steps before something hit his back a little above his waist, sending him flying forward down the remaining steps before he landed in the dirt. Gasps came from around him as he leveraged himself slowly off the ground, only to have a puppy begin licking his face in concern as it ran up to him. 'Well that explains it' he thought to himself as he gave Akamaru a quick scratch behind the ears to reassure him.

"Akamaru! What did I tell you about eating the garbage off the ground?" he heard spoken loudly behind him. He pushed himself up to his feet, slowly turning around with a long sigh as he watched Kiba strut down the stairs. The feral boy was obviously enjoying all of the attention given to him by the growing crowd as he walked towards his prey. His dominance over the rest of the class had been achieved over the last month, Kiba proving tougher than all of them. He hadn't been able to get a chance to confront Kuma though, the large boy always having at least one of his women around him. Kiba had a healthy respect for strong women due to growing up with his mother and sister, and had no urge to pick a fight with any of the three strongest girls in the class. He would eventually win them over by proving he was the strongest male available. All that was left was the boy in front of him, and now was the perfect time to put him in his place. "You should have stayed down" he said as he stalked up to the boy, only realizing that he was the smaller of the two by a few inches as he drew closer. "It's time you learned your place around here."

Kuma was incredulous, unable to fathom why this boy even wanted to fight him when they never interacted before. He could not recall a single time where they had even spoke to each other. "What exactly is your problem with me Kiba?" he asked calmly, noticing Akamaru slowly move behind his owner with his tail between his legs, unwilling to participate in the confrontation. "We haven't even talked to each other before this. Yet you just took a cheap shot at my back like a coward."

Kiba cracked his neck as he sunk down into a combat stance. "We're training to be ninja. A cheap shot is a smart attack. Anyone with a clan upbringing can tell you that. I don't have a problem with you personally, but you need to know who's the boss around here. Once I win, those girls will concentrate on me instead." His nails extended from his hands, filed down to look like claws.

Kuma backed up a step, raising his hands in a warding gesture. "Well that's an easy solution. I don't give a shit about being in charge so you can have it. I sure as hell am not taking an ass kicking though. As for the girls, you're welcome to them if you think you can handle them. Good luck changing their minds though."

Kiba gave a low chuckle as he sank lower, preparing to spring. "I promise, it'll be over quick. Who knows, maybe we can be friends later on." Without any warning, he hurled himself forward, attempting to swipe a claw at Kuma's chest. Said boy ducked under the wild swing, watching Kiba land on all fours before jumping at him again.

Kuma ducked under the next two punches before moving aside to dodge the kick aimed at his stomach. 'It isn't even funny how much slower this mutt is compared to Naruko' he reflected to himself as he brought his elbow down, digging it deep into Kiba's extended leg right above the knee. The feral boy went down on one knee with a cry, swearing to himself as he tried to rub some feeling back into his suddenly numb limb. Kuma knew if the fight continued, he wouldn't escape punishment now that he was moving past defending himself. He opted for the less violent approach, quickly maneuvering behind his opponent. Kiba had just realized that he had lost sight of his opponent when he felt a large hand land on his shoulder. Suddenly, the fingers dug into his shoulder, squeezing the muscle and pinching the nerves. The pain was so sharp it took his breath away as he started clawing at the hand, completely forgetting about the fight. Kuma smiled as he used the hold he had seen the orphanage matron use on a pushy drunk who wouldn't leave the premises. "Do you give up Kiba?" he asked as he put a little more pressure on the thrashing boy. Kiba nodded wordlessly, willing to do anything to escape the painful hold.

Kuma let up, turning around as he put his hands in his pockets and began to walk towards his friends. Kiba stared at his back, unable to believe that he had been handled so easily. The feral boy snarled silently as his claws came out again while he rose to his feet. There was no way he was going to let the fight end like this without him getting at least one more good shot in. Just as he lowered himself in preparation to spring, he felt a wave of fear crash down on him. The pressure was incredible, making it tough for him to even breath as his eyes widened and his heart raced. He slowly looked over his shoulder to see three dark silhouettes at the top of the stairs, most of their features indiscernible as the sky seemed to darken around them. The figure on the left practically loomed over him, it's eyes a deep red with a single black tomoe circling around each pupil, fixated on him as they watched his every move. The figure on the right's eyes were a solid white surrounded by veins in the skin that he could almost see chakra moving through. They seemed to burrow into his very soul, finding him wanting. The figure in the center had normal eyes at least, a sharp blue that watched him like a hawk studying its prey. The hair around it's head though seemed to rise up around it, splitting into nine tendrils that all moved as if they had minds of their own.

Kiba held his breath as the figures began to move forward, slowly resolving into the three girls that had captured his interest over the past month. He couldn't help but reflect that he had spent so long trying to get their attention, only to regret it now that they were focused solely on him. Now he would give anything for them to concentrate on something else. His wish was inadvertently granted as they continued right past him, walking up to Kuma who had stopped a few feet away to watch the show. "Thank you for waiting for me Kuma!" Hinata said with a soft smile as she grabbed onto his right arm. "Where are going for lunch?"

"Yes" Satsuki remarked as she walked up, taking his left hand in hers before slowly wrapping it around her waist as she leaned into him. "Please tell me what you have planned for the two of us." She shot a superior look over to Hinata, only to see a similar one returned to her as the Hyuuga tightened her grip on his arm, burying it into her chest.

Kuma sighed as he looked forlornly at the tree where the rest of the boys sat. They had apparently grown tired of waiting for him and started eating as they watched the drama unfold. "I had planned on eating lunch with my friends over there" he nodded his head at the tree. "You know, just us guys" he emphasized.

"That sounds great!" Naruko cheered as she jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She giggled as she watched him blush as she pressed her breasts into him, enjoying the control she had over the boy. "Now let's go!" she said, pointing over his shoulder in the direction of the tree while bouncing on his back like a jockey on her horse. The jealous looks she received from the two bitches at his sides made it all the better.

Kiba watched the boy as he started to trudge off. The same person that had handed him his ass just minutes ago now looking utterly defeated as he walked away. 'I'm going about this all wrong' he thought to himself as he started back towards the school. He bent down absentmindedly to pick up Akamaru, putting the puppy into the back of his hood. 'I'm going to need to ask Mom and Hana how to get their attention the right way.'

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"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered to himself as he lay on his back on a bench on the school roof, watching the clouds as they slowly drifted by. Choji leaned against the bench across from him, snacking on his chips as he sat back with his eyes closed, enjoying the flavor. He had even been kind enough to leave a lone chip on the ground for the trail of bugs leaving Shino's sleeve to snack on. Said boy watched the procession of bugs with rapt attention, barely giving a second thought to what was happening around him. "You know they're only going to get worse as time goes by right?" he addressed the final member of their group.

"I know" Kuma sighed to himself as he stared forlornly up at the sky. He was laying with his feet against the side of the school building, practicing sticking them to the surface. Iruka had been impressed with how fast the boy had mastered the leaf exercise and had felt confident enough to start him out on the basics of wall walking. Kuma had attempted to run up the classroom wall after being told the basics, only to fall on the back of his head after only a few steps. He could still hear Iruka's laughter in the back of his head as he absentmindedly rubbed the tender area of his cranium. He had resolved to take it slow and steady from now on, mastering each portion before he attempted to actually climb a vertical surface again. "The problem is that they're all stronger than me… by a lot." It used to hurt to admit something like that, but Kuma's hardships had turned him into a realist early on in his life.

"We know!" Choji said, looking over at his poor friend before shivering. "I didn't think too much of them since all I had seen was fangirls before today. But the vibes they were giving off at poor Kiba had me damn near wet myself." He threw a chip at Kuma in sympathy, expertly landing it in the boys open mouth. "You're either extremely lucky, or one of the unluckiest guys I've ever met. I'm still trying to decide."

"There is no shame to bowing to a powerful woman" Shino murmured as he watched the bugs break down the chip to manageable pieces. "Most insect hives are all ruled by a queen who is bigger than the rest of their subjects." He paused for a moment, considering the situation before continuing. "I've never seen a hive with more than one queen though. When a challenger emerges, they usually tear at each other until only a clear winner still lives and takes over leadership of whatever remains."

The other boys stared at him for a second, contemplating what their quiet friend had said, before collectively shrugging. Some things just weren't worth delving into when there was relaxing to be done. Noticing the position of the sun in the sky, Kuma hopped up to his feet and began heading for the stairs. It was getting close to time for him to head home and start cooking dinner before he got a little more training in for the night. Shuffling and scraping noises from behind him prompted him to look back, only to see the other boys following behind him. At his raised eyebrow, Shikamaru shrugged "You're the one with a house to himself. My mom will be on me the moment I go through the front door about chores. It's too troublesome to deal with right now."

Kuma grinned to himself as he observed his lazy friend before gesturing with his hand for his friends to follow him as they headed off through the business district towards his home. "You guys are welcome, but keep in mind that I'm not responsible if one of your parents comes to find you."

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Choji began to notice scowls directed towards Kuma from many of Konoha's residents passing by them. "What exactly is their problem with you Kuma?" he asked his large friend. "Did you do something to anger them?"

Kuma huffed as he ignored another old lady scowling at him from her stall. "As far as I can tell, they're like this because of my friendship with Naruko. If you think this is bad, you should see how they act to her. It always gets way worse around October 10th for some reason, but dies down again afterwards." He sped up a little, intent on getting through the worst of the crowd before someone went farther than just giving looks. "I don't get what their problem is," he said louder than normal, "but they can kiss my ass if they think I care about their dumbass opinions." He smiled to himself as the lady turned away, her face frozen in an ugly sneer.

"Come on in guys" he offered, holding the door open for the boys as they looked around the hall while removing their shoes, before heading towards the living room. "Keep an eye out where you sit. The girls had another food fight a few days ago. I cleaned up after they left, but you always miss something."

Shino nodded, before lowering himself into the couch. "If we see anything, my hive can remove the mess without having to bother you." Kuma nodded his thanks as he emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of chips and a few drinks. Choji immediately confiscated the bowl, growling at Shikamaru as the boy reached for a chip until he withdrew his hand.

The lazy boy rolled his eyes at his friend's antics before dropping bonelessly to the floor, using his hands to pillow behind his head as he made himself comfortable. "How did you manage to get a place like this on an orphan's stipend" he asked Kuma as the boy sat in a chair.

Kuma blinked in surprise. "You don't know about how I helped the Hyuugas?" he asked, only to get a head shake from Shikamaru and Choji. "I helped stop a guy from Cloud as he was running off with Hinata. He had kidnapped her from the compound during the talks. He was subdued and Hinata's dad was so grateful he got me an apartment here. You clans really have it made."

Shikamaru raised his hand up, making a 'so-so' gesture. "It's alright for the most part. Only a few clans like the Uchiha and the Hyuuga really are all that rich though. Most of the other clans are together simply because we're extended family and we protect each other. We have special techniques, knowledge, and jitsu that we only share between members."

Kuma nodded slowly as he considered the information. "That still sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Maybe I'll start my own clan someday."

Choji grinned at Kuma as he looked up from the food. "You'll probably be in one a lot sooner than that once those girls figure out who you belong to." He laughed as he ducked under the cushion that Kuma winged at his head, before returning fire with one of the chips. The talk continued on for hours as the boys got to know each other better.

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Kuma grinned as he watched Shikamaru get drug out of his apartment by his ear. The lazy boy's mother had shown up a few minutes ago, immediately lighting into him about not coming home when he was supposed to. She had only paused long enough to thank Kuma for putting up with her delinquent son before storming out the door, an amused Choji following behind.

Kuma had just started shutting his front door when a hand caught it from the outside, stopping it from closing all the way. The confused boy pulled the door back again, only to reveal what seemed to be a fully grown version of Shino standing at his doorstep. The man nodded once to him, before looking over at his son. Shino nodded back before standing and proceeding towards the door. He paused as he passed Kuma, before murmuring in a low voice "My condolences. You're surrounded and have no hope of escape."

Kuma shut the door behind them, confused at what Shino's message could possibly mean. A muffled thump from the hall closet prompted the boy to open it, letting Naruko tumble out onto the ground. "Thank Kami" the girl mumbled, "I thought they'd never leave." She jumped to her feet as if nothing strange had happened, kicking her shoes off towards the door as she wandered down the hall towards the kitchen. "So what are you making us for dinner tonight?" she asked as she jumped up on the counter, making herself comfortable to watch her man cook for her.

The large boy just turned and thumped his head against the wall, unable to believe that the blonde had been hiding there the whole time. "Why the hell can't you just go eat something at your own place?" he whined as he picked her shoes up, putting them on the rack correctly. Upon realizing the blonde was ignoring him, he trudged back down the hall in defeat towards his room, removing his school clothes and throwing on a tank top and a pair of shorts. 'I need to go shopping again' he reflected to himself as he tried to adjust the tight clothes for a more comfortable fit, 'I must have grown again recently.'

Naruko drooled to herself as she watched Kuma throw on an apron and bend over to grab some ingredients from the fridge. 'Nothing like dinner and a show' she reflected to herself with a lecherous grin as she watched the eye candy in front of her.

The apartment door rattled for a second as a key was inserted and turned. Soft steps could be heard before the door closed. "Honey! I'm home!" could be heard shouted from down the hallway, followed by a soft giggle. Kuma froze at the voice of Hinata, his face turning white as a sheet as he heard what she had said. He turned woodenly as the Hyuuga princess entered the kitchen, walking over to give the boy a hug. "I have great news Kuma! My father finally let me move into the apartment next door. And since we own the building, I was given a skeleton key to all the rooms." She walked over to the counter to jump up next to Naruko, who had been ignoring her the entire time. "I don't see what his problem was with me wanting more independence. He almost refused again until I reminded him who lived next door…" She trailed off, finally noticing what Kuma had on as he pretended the girls weren't there, cooking his dinner. "You shrunk his clothes on purpose again didn't you?" she whispered to the blonde next to her. At the excited nod, she offered up her fist, bumping the blonde's in a show of solidarity. When the work benefited everyone, who was she to complain?

Kuma was in his own world as he cooked, long ago figuring out how to reach a zen like trance during the chore. It was is only real escape from the chaos around him when privacy seemed to be a luxury that he would never get to experience. Movement outside his kitchen window showed too shadowy figures on the rooftop across the street, crouching and talking to each other. The moon coming out from behind the clouds resolved the figures into two ANBU, one of which had on a cat mask. Kuma knew that Cat was Naruko's personal guard, the ANBU always around in the shadows for as long as he could remember. The other individual was sporting a bear mask. Kuma had noticed the man more and more the past few weeks, even when Naruko wasn't around. The conversation stopped for a second as they turned towards the window, the man waving to Kuma. Kuma waved back, before shrugging and going back to his stir fry and rice.

The sound of the window opening caused him to jump back, a kitchen knife in his hand. He calmed down as Satsuki climbed through the window, before shutting it behind her. "I'm on patrol tonight" she said, answering the boys unasked question. "Dad wanted me to see what the clan did to help protect the village so I volunteered to watch this neighborhood." She smirked as she sauntered up to Kuma, running a finger down his chest. "I figured I'd start inspecting suspected homes for contraband." The boy huffed before turning back to the stove, causing her to chuckle as she grabbed a seat at the kitchen table. Her eyebrows raised as she got a look at Kuma's outfit, before looking at the other girls. Hinata caught her gaze, before hooking a thumb at Naruko. The blonde grinned widely before all three girls turned back around to watch the boy finish up cooking.

Kuma smiled to himself as he put the finishing touches on the pot of stir fry, his stomach growling as he smelled the aroma. The room had gone silent as he carried the pots over to the table, all conversation stopping as all eyes landed on the food. Kuma walked back towards the cupboard, intent on getting a water glass. He smiled to himself as he heard a flurry of near silent movements behind him, indicating that his plan was under way. He discreetly nudged the empty bottle of cold medicine behind his spice rack, moving it out of site of his uninvited guests before turning around. The rice pot was empty, laying on its side as it rolled lazily in a tight circle on the table. The stir fry gone, with a trail of sauce heading in three directions towards the plates of the girls who were stuffing their faces, as if in a competition to see who could finish first. Blushes covered their face as they heard the object of their affection clear his throat, remembering that they had an audience. Hinata leaned back from the table, daintily wiping her face with a napkin. "Thank you for letting me have some of this wonderful food Kuma! The blonde slut was right, it does taste much better when you cook it."

Naruko scowled at her, unable to say anything with her cheeks still full of food. She turned towards Kuma, giving him a beaming smile and a thumbs up before diving back into her plate, prompting Hinata to do the same. Satsuki simply nodded at him, before scraping a portion of her food onto a side plate and sliding it towards the boy. Kuma smiled softly at her gesture while shaking his head "Thanks but that's all yours. I've had Naruko sneak over too many times not to know how to plan for this."

Satsuki looked on in confusion as she watched the boy turn and open the oven, before he pulled out another plate of food. She smiled at his display of planning while reflecting that she would have to teach herself to pay more attention. 'I should have noticed him put that in there. I was too distracted earlier. What happens if that happens around an enemy instead of my boyfriend?' She broke off as she yawned suddenly, her head eyes fluttering for a minute before she forced them back open.

She looked up from her plate only to see Kuma's back as he took off his apron and moved towards the bathroom, his empty plate left on the counter. "Make sure to lock the door when you leave" the boy called over his shoulder as he closed the door. Satsuki blinked, trying to remember Kuma's instructions only to realize that she had zoned out staring at his back as he walked away. Mentally shrugging, she turned back towards her plate, intent on finishing up her delicious meal. A light snoring caused her to look up. She giggled as she saw Hinata slouched into her chair in front of her empty plate, the Hyuuga girl's head leaned back over the chair as she fell asleep full and content.

Naruko continued to doggedly eat the rest of her meal, not wanting to waste any of rare home cooked meal. The other girls might take such a thing for granted, but the blonde knew what a treat it was not to have to eat something either ready made or restaurant carryout. She looked towards the bathroom door where her best friend currently was showering. 'And they wonder why I'm so attached to him.' She looked back towards her competition, both girls currently asleep now. 'I guess they couldn't handle Kuma's special ingredient' she thought, grinning at the sight. 'He should know by now that kind of thing doesn't work on me.' She yawned suddenly, panicking before recalling the intense training session she had earlier that day. Her body was simply reminding her that it needed rest in order to recover from the days activities. Her head perked up as she heard the bathroom door open, her ears following the footsteps of her friend as he walked down the hall.

Kuma stood at the foot of his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist, trying to remember if he had washed his clothes for tomorrow when he heard a pair of feet sprinting down his hallway. He spun around, channeling chakra to his feet to help speed up the process only to be shoulder tackled by Naruko back onto his bed. Kuma put up a valiant struggle, but was handicapped with one of his hands occupied holding up his towel. The blonde wrestled her way up the boys legs like a snake constricting it's victim, until her head lay down on his abdomen, her grip locked tightly around his waist as she snuggled into one of her favorite sleeping arrangements. Kuma sighed, laying his head back against the top of the bed. 'I guess the pills still weren't strong enough' he reflected as he freed his other hand from the bed's other occupant. He felt her grip tighten as she wrapped her legs around his, ruining any leverage he could employ. Her soft breath on his abdomen evening out as she passed into the dream world.

Kuma relaxed, intent on giving her a few minutes to fall into a deeper sleep before he started extracting himself. He closed his eyes to rest before they flew open as a sudden weight on the bed caused it to shift. A strong grip was felt on his right arm, causing him to tilt his head in it's direction. He spied a blue head of hair inches from his face as Hinata sighed in content, her grip reflexively tightening on his bicep as she pulled his arm to her chest, her head nestled into his shoulder as she inhaled deeply before settling down. 'Shit!' he thought as he tried to shift away, only to run into something on his left.

Looking over, he saw Satsuki kneeling on the side of the bed. Once she saw that she had the frightened boy's attention she spoke in a low whisper, intent on not waking the others. "This is only happening because I need rest after a long day and can't make it home. This means nothing between us and if you do anything besides what you are told to, I will break your arm. Do you understand me?" Kuma nodded quickly, barely breathing as he looked at the newest threat to his well being as she calmly laid down facing away from him. A moment later, she raised back up, before grabbing his arm and pulling it under her so it wrapped around her waist. She sighed contentedly as she used his left bicep as her pillow, enjoying the heat her put off as she fell asleep again.

'Well damn' the boy thought to himself as he laid his head back staring at the ceiling as he contemplated how he arrived at his current position as human pillow for three girls who could all kick his ass. 'The next time Shino warns me, I'm running, no questions asked." He tried to shift, only to realize that his only freedom of movement was contained to his neck and head. He spied a leaf sitting on the window ledge above his head, fluttering gently in the breeze. He exhaled heavily, dislodging it from it's spot and causing it to flutter down on his head. 'At least I can get some training done' he congratulated himself as he began to float the leaf above his head. Naruto shifted in her sleep, rubbing her body against spots best left unmentioned and ruining his concentration. The leaf fell down, poking him in his eye before it fluttered down to the mattress beside his head. 'Why can't anything ever work out for me' the boy thought to himself, a single tear sliding down his cheek from his irritated eye.

His hopes soared a moment later as his window slid open, the two ANBU climbing in before dropping down on either side of the bed. Cat stared at the jumble of bodies for a moment before placing the comforter up to right under Naruko's chin, the blonde sighing in happiness as she snuggled further into her Kuma pillow. Cat then turned off the lights to the room, bathing it in darkness, illuminated only by the light of the moon. She set the alarm clock before climbing out of the window again, ignoring the boys pleading looks the entire time. Bear walked back through the doorway a moment later, the rest of the houses lights having been turned off. Kuma stared a hole into him from his position, knowing that his salvation rested with the man. "HELP ME!" he mouthed frantically, his heart soaring as the man stopped and turned to stare at him. His hope plummeted as the man held up the empty bottle of sleeping pills, slowly shaking his head at the boy as if to say "you brought this on yourself."

Bear leaned in, whispering to Kuma so softly that the boy could barely hear him. "We'll let Uchiha clan know that their heir is taken care of. No worries." He chuckled at the boys expression of horror, before straightening back up. He patted Kuma on the cheek, before picking up the leaf and placing it back on the boy's forehead. He then climbed back through the window, shutting it silently and leaving Kuma with nothing but his thoughts.

"Fuck my life" Kuma thought to himself as the leaf began to spin again, traveling over different portions of his face as he directed it with his chakra. It was going to be a long night.

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Iruka looked on with concern as he watched his favorite student try to make it through the school day. Kuma's eyes were bloodshot, the bags under them dark and thick. The boy leaned on one hand, propped up on the desk. Every now and then, he would slip off on the hand causing his body to jerk forward before he would jerk fully awake again. Comparatively, the three princesses looked bright eyed and content. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear they looked like they had just experienced the most restful sleep of their life.

This continued on for the rest of the morning until he started teaching a new subject after lunch. The boy perked up as Iruka began to introduce the geography of the Elemental Nations to the class. Kuma stared intently at the large map that Iruka pulled down, showing all of the countries of the Elemental Nations. "That can't be right" Iruka heard the boy mumble, causing him to turn around and look at the map to verify it's accuracy. "Iruka sensei" Kuma called out, "Where is the rest of the world? This just shows the Elemental Nations as being surrounded by water like a large island."

Iruka nodded slowly, not enjoying the boy's distressed look. "That's essentially correct Kuma. The size of the Elemental Nations is large enough to be considered a continent, but it is an island unto itself. We've sent ships out in every direction over the centuries, but all they report back is more ocean." He indicated a wavy line on the map that circled the entire continent. "Apparently if you go far enough out into the ocean, there is a belt of calm water that surrounds the entire continent, that goes farther than the eye can see. Any of our ships that have attempted to cross it by either oar or motor have all disappeared, never to be seen again. Sailors refuse to attempt the crossing any more, even with ninja's to supply wind for the sails and protection. So as far as we know, there isn't anything else out there."

The boy looked shocked, before slumping into his seat with a look of extreme depression on his face. Iruka made a note for himself to talk with Kuma after class. He was worried for the boy, having never seen him act that way before. Even the princesses were looking o with concern, unable to figure out anything that would help their love interest.

This didn't stop one blonde girl from trying though. Naruko had been ecstatic that she had managed to snag the seat next to her best friend, only to be disappointed as he couldn't even stay awake to carry out a conversation through the day. "Hey Kuma" she whispered, hesitant to incur the wrath of Iruka sensei. "I'm heading to see the Hokage after class today. Do you want to come with me? He always cheers me up if I'm feeling down. Maybe he can help you too…"

Kuma was about to dismiss her offer, intent on enjoying the few hours after school with at least one less girl stalking him. Then he actually considered her offer, 'The Hokage might actually know about my parents.' "Ok Naruko, I'll join you" he whispered back. The girl's face lit up with a thousand watt smile, overjoyed that she could help her friend like he always did for her. Iruka relaxed, not knowing what was said, but glad that Kuma's spirits seemed to be lifted some.

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"Come on slowpoke! It's this way!" Naruko ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. She tore through the reception area, not even pausing to address the secretary before barrelling through the double doors. "Hey old man!"

Kuma wheezed to himself as he finally made it up the last step, taking a second to sit on it before laying on his back, arms spread out at his side. It felt like his body always needed just a little more oxygen than he could supply when he tried following Naruko around at her speed. A hand appeared in front of his face, waiting until he grasped it before pulling him up. "The first time up them is always rough" the young lady said, before unsealing a bottle of water for the boy and returning to her desk.

Kuma watched her move, aware that it wasn't like a civilian. "Thank you" he said before pointing at the office. "I'm with her. Is it ok if I go in?" At her nod, he started walking before pausing hear the doors. "You're ANBU aren't you?" At her surprised look, he continued "You move too well to be a civilian, and it figures that only the best would be guarding our leader."

"Very good little man" the lady smiled at him, her brunette shoulder length hair waving around her face as she turned to smile at him. "But don't tell anyone. It's still a secret."

The boy snorted to himself, "Not a very good one if I can figure it out. But I'll stay quiet. Can you please do me a small favor?" She gestured for him to continue, a soft smile on her face. "If you see Bear, tell him he sucks. You don't leave a fellow man in that position. He'll know what it means."

The woman laughed, before grinning at Kuma like the cat who caught the canary. "I'll let him know, but you don't have to worry about it being a hidden message. We all know about it all ready." The boys horrified expression started her giggling all over again. "Cat told us about it after the shift was over. You poor boy" she said, false sympathy in her voice. "Surrounded by beautiful girls and unable to move. There are men that would kill to be in your position."

"They can have it" Kuma mumbled as he walked towards the office. Opening the door revealed Naruko staring out over the city from a large window in the office. The Hokage stood beside her, a hand rubbing her hair as he looked at her affectionately. Kuma felt jealous for a second, wishing he had a bond like that. He ruthlessly buried the emotion, determined to be happy for his friend knowing her life had been that much more tougher than his was.

The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had watched this from the reflection in his window, able to read Kuma's expressions to understand what the boy was thinking. He was glad he allowed Naruko to keep associating with the boy now, despite Danzo's concerns that she would grow more attached to him than the village. His surrogate granddaughter needed more people to grow close to if she was to be mentally healthy. He was just glad that Kuma cared for her as much as he did considering the general attitude of the rest of the populace. The Hokage laughed to himself as he thought about the ANBU report last night. Kuma was either the luckiest or unluckiest boy in the world. It just depended on the perspective.

"Ah Kuma, I'm glad you were able to join us." He turned away from the window, returning to sit at his desk. He indicated for the boy to take one the seats in front of him, expecting Naruko to take the other one. The blonde surprised him yet again by moving directly past the empty chair and jumping into the lap of the boy. She seemed intent to get as much physical contact as possible from him. 'I'll have to talk with her later about this' the Hiruzen thought to himself. 'She's practically smothering the poor boy, and if I'm right he probably has the same thing happen from two others. It's a wonder he isn't over whelmed.'

"Thank you for letting me come Lord Hokage" Kuma said from around Naruko's shoulder. He nudged the blonde to move, but only resulted in her changing from sitting up straight to laying across him while using he armrest as a pillow. She giggled at his frustrated look before he chose to ignore her and continue on. "I was hoping you could clear up something for me that I was confused about in school."

"Oh?" the Hokage asked, intrigued already. "What's on your mind?"

"Well…" Kuma said, stalling for a moment as he formulated the question. "We saw today that the Elemental Nations are a continent surrounded by water right?" The Hokage nodded, wincing internally as he started to get where Kuma was going already. "Then how did my dad come from the 'barbarian lands' off of the continent if there aren't any?"

Hiruzen's head tilted down as he thought of how to answer the innocent yet dangerous question. The Hokage hat threw his face into shadow. "Naruko, could you wait outside? I need to talk to Kuma about something private."

Naruko shook her head as she gripped onto Kuma's neck, intent on not going anywhere. "You might as well just tell her too" said the boy with a sigh. "Believe me, she'll just find out later. It's impossible to keep secrets from her." The blonde smiled at hearing what she took as a compliment from her best friend.

'If only you knew' the Hokage thought to himself, thinking about the biggest secret that he was keeping from both of them. "If you're ok with it Kuma. Naruko, nothing said here can be repeated. You both need to swear it. It's a 'S' class secret that Kuma wasn't going to find out about until he was older."

"I swear not to tell anyone Lord Hokage" they both said, more serious than any child had a right to be. This was ruined a moment later by Naruko giggling as she pointed at Kuma, "You looked old when you did that."

The boy rolled his eyes, but Hiruzen smiled as he recalled seeing the same solemn look on a face similar to Kuma a long time ago. "Ok Kuma, it's time for you to find out the truth about your father. Where he actually came from and why he arrived here in the Elemental Nations."


	4. Chapter 4

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Chapter 4: Playing in the Big Leagues Now

Kuma walked down the main thoroughfare in a straight line, forcing those in his path to move to the side. This wasn't done out of anger or spite, but due to no one sitting in the driver's seat in his head. His body was on the road, walking on autopilot, while his brain was miles away still trying to wrap itself around the bombshell that the Hokage had just dropped on him minutes ago.

"What they don't tell you in class" Sarutobi said, "is that there are actually numerous other continents and islands that cover our world. They're separated by oceans that are so large it takes weeks to months to cross them. We are unable to cross the one that surrounds our continent, and as far as we know, no one has ever managed to find our home. No one but your father Bartholomew Kuma." Kuma was sitting in his seat, his back ramrod straight, listening with rapt attention. Hiruzen felt for the boy, this being the first real information he ever had on his family.

"His arrival came near the closing of the third great war. The 4th Hokage had been on patrol around the northern border of the Land of Fire when he saw a large explosion go off against the side of a mountain in the distance. Upon investigating the crater, he discovered a tall man standing in the center of it, his clothes shredded,but otherwise appearing well. The Hokage jumped down to inquire if he was well, but your father didn't understand our language and took the sudden arrival as an attack. The Hokage and him fought each other for the better part of the day, rearranging the face of the mountain in the process. Neither could get the upper hand with their powers countering each other so easily." He paused to check if the children were listening, only to see he still had their undivided attention. "Now can either of you tell me what made the 4th Hokage so special?"

"Pick me! I know!" Naruko shouted, sitting up suddenly. "He could use the flying thunder god technique to flash anywhere on a battlefield instantaneously."

"Good job Naruko!" Sarutobi congratulated her. "Now Kuma, your father had his own special power. He could 'push' anything he wanted to any place he had already been. He could also push pockets of air like projectiles at his enemies with his fists. Bartholomew would push the 4th Hokage away, only for him to flash back where they would attack each other until the process would repeat itself. The amazing thing about the fight was that your father never used chakra during it, he said he had gained his power in a far away land by eating a special fruit that only grew once."

The fight ended when the 4th finally managed to get lucky enough to drive a rasengan into Bartholomew's stomach, only for him to push away the attack before it could detonate fully. This damage Kuma enough that he was unable to continue fighting, but the 4th Hokage was too exhausted to continue either. As they both lay there, they finally opened up a dialogue, mostly with gestures and speaking slowly until ANBU finally felt it was safe enough to approach. Most of them converged to help the 4th, but one broke off to attend to Bartholomew. That ANBU would become your mother a year later." He cringed at the boy's hopeful expression, "I'm sorry but I can't give you her name right now, it could endanger people we still have undercover right now." Kuma nodded sadly, not wanting to risk anyone's life, but still bitter that he wasn't able to learn of his mother's name.

"Your parents died only a few nights after you were born. Your mother was on the front lines fighting against the Kyuubi's advance when she was killed by one of it's attacks. Your father had stayed behind with you at the hospital, intent on defending you no matter what. When the Kyuubi broke through the city wall, it started moving towards the hokage tower with the hospital right in the way. The evacuation of the patients was still on going when it arrived, and the maternity ward had yet to be saved. Your father left you in the hands of one of the nurses, before running outside to the Kyuubi and using his ability to push it outside of the village where the 4th was waiting for it. After the battle was over, we couldn't find any sign of your father. It was as if he had vanished. All that was left was the hat he always wore that he left with you. I had been saving it to give to you on your graduation from the academy, but this seems like a good time now for you to have it."

The Hokage pulled a large scroll out from his desk before opening a portion of it up to reveal a page covered in strange script and designs. He bit his thumb and swiped the blood on a specific design, activating a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared it revealed a tan bucket hat with bear ears on the sides of it. The back portion of it had a the edges singed as if it was brought too close to flames at one point. Kuma took the hat reverently in his hands. This was his connection to his father.

"Kuma" the Hokage addressed him, pulling his attention back away from the object. "Your mother was a ninjutsu specialist who was skilled enough to be invite to the ANBU at a very early age. From what I hear about you from Iruka, you have the potential to follow in her footsteps. Keep working on your chakra control right now so you'll be able to handle your reserves as they develop. As for your father, we don't actually know if you'll inherit anything from him seeing as how he wasn't born with his gifts and they weren't chakra based. The Sannin Tsunade had a theory that his genetics had been rewritten to allow him to perform his feats, but nothing was tested before the Kyuubi arrived. Either way though, they loved you and only wanted the best for you. I'm sure you'll do great things in the future."

Kuma nudged Naruko off of him before standing shakily, tears threatening to leave his eyes. He offered a bow to the Hokage before running from the room, the hat clutched in his hands. Naruko jumped up to chase after him, but was held back by the old man. "He needs some time alone right now Naruko. He's just had a lot revealed to him at once. And you need to get home young lady, the streets aren't the safest place tonight." Naruko gasped as she realized that he was right, tonight was the night of October tenth. "Don't worry, he'll be back" the Hokage reassured her. "Now let's go and get you some ramen from your favorite stand to celebrate your birthday." Naruko nodded silently, happy for the gift but wanting to spend it with her friend.

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Kuma watched the sun begin to dip below the sky as the lights began to turn on on the top floors of the apartments that he could see over the treetops. His wandering had taken him to a wide open field with a single large pillar carved out of a rock dominating the hill in the center of it. A plaque next to it provided the boy with the information on the monument. He stared at the names of the fallen shinobi carved into the stone, each of them dying in service to the village. He wasn't able to find his father as he looked, before realizing that his dad had never been a shinobi, even if had died protecting the people of the village. It was even worse knowing his mother was carved somewhere on it too, but he couldn't tell which name was hers.

Sounds of cheering and drunken revelry brought Kuma out of hs thoughts, making him realize the significance of the night. 'If I hurry, I might be able to buy Naruko a gift before the stores close' he thought as he took off running back towards the market. 'She's always tried to be there for me, and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even have found out about my dad yet.'

The stalls flew past in a blur, Kuma sprinting at top speed towards a particular store he remembered seeing earlier while wandering aimlessly. Something had caught his eye in the window display, drawing him back to it like a magnet. Kuma arrived just as the shopkeeper was turning off his lights. "I'm sorry, I know it's late but can I just grab something I saw earlier?" the boy wheeze, doubled over as he tried to regain his breath.

The shopkeeper rolled his eyes, before pushing the door back open and walking behind the register. "Make it quick" he said, the words harsh, but a smile on his face. "I'm heading out to join the celebration out on the main street."

Kuma was gone in a flash, returning a moment later with his prize. "Thank you so much sir" he said, grateful for the man's patience. "Its my friend's birthday today and I'll know she'll love this."

The man paused as he finished wrapping up the gift, taking a closer look at the gift before his eyes trailed up to examine his customer's face. He physically recoiled as if attacked, the present dropping from his fingers towards the ground. Only Kuma's quick reflexes saved the gift from shattering as he caught it mere inches from destruction. "Take it and get out!" the man hissed, his finger shaking as it pointed towards the door. Kuma looked on in confusion as the man hurried towards the front door before locking it and turning out the lights. "Do you know what you've done?" The man asked, his face ashen in the dim light filtering in from outside. "I personally don't have a problem with her, but you know how the others are. If the see me selling something like this to you, especially on today of all days, then they'll burn down my store." He moved towards the back of the store, opening a door to the alley out back. "Quickly! Run and get inside somewhere!. This night isn't a good one to be out late."

Kuma wrapped up the package in his overshirt, leaving his tank top on before placing it in his weapons holster on his right leg. "I'm sorry to have done this, I didn't know. Here" he shoved the money, plus a hefty tip, into the merchant's hand before bowing low. He leaned out the door, scanning in both directions before running towards his apartment, the door softly closing and locking behind him. Kuma knew the city well enough to realize he had to cross the main shopping and bar district to reach his apartment near the government buildings. "I'll stick to the backway and stay out of the light" he thought to himself as he sprinted across a street before jumping into the next alley. If he had bothered to look over his shoulder in his rush, he would have seen dark shapes as they hopped across the rooftops in pursuit, the distance closing quickly

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Naruko ground her teeth in embarrassment as the streets passed beneath her. She had stayed out late with the Hokage, feeling as if she had owed him her time since he had gone out of his busy schedule to buy her dinner and take a long walk back to the tower. He had seemed preoccupied as the sun began to set, his eyes shifting at the slightest noises. Naruko had taken this as her indicator that it was time to leave, giving the old man a hug and promising to visit again before taking off running, not waiting for an answer.

She had made it less than a block before a black blur had scooped her up from the streets, depositing her on it's back and telling her to hold on. Naruko used to love riding on Cat's back as she roof hopped. It was what she imagined the feeling of flying would be like and she had resolved to never stop training until she could move like her female idol. Now, it made her feel like a little kid when Cat did it to her, not helping at all with the image of a grown kunoichi that she was trying to project.

Cat had ignored her charge's requests to be dropped off at Kuma's apartment. The Hokage's order had been to bring Naruko to her own apartment, and that was what the ANBU intended to do. Naruko huffed as her pleas were once again rebuffed before looking off in the distance, seeing Kuma's apartment complex. She frowned as she noticed that all of the boy's lights were off. Kuma had a rigid schedule that he worked hard to adhere to. He would be training on his chakra control for at least another hour before he cooked dinner, even when he was sick or injured. The only reason the light's would be off was if he wasn't home yet. Her eyes scanned over the roofs towards the center of the village. The area was extremely well lit as most of the villagers had gathered there for the festives. This ironically made the rest of the village much darker, the normal lights streaming from windows absent as the houses' occupants were all gone at the moment.

The change in light allowed her to notice another bright spot in the village. It seemed to be moving between the alleyways erratically, sometimes splitting off onto multiple streets before converging again. Naruko recognised the makings of a 'fox hunt' the villagers loved to do when they got drunk enough on this day every year. She was with Cat though so who could they possibly have found to be their 'fox'? Her eyes flew open as she made the connection. If they couldn't get her, then her best friend would make a perfect target.

"You've been quiet back there for a while now Naruko. You're not still mad at me are you?" No answer was given as the ANBU lazily hopped across the rooftops, enjoying the quiet night in the dead part of the city. "Look, lets talk for a second. Just us girls." Cat stopped on a flat roof, kneeling down but not feeling the weight on her back shift at all. She let go of the legs, the arms sliding off of her shoulders as the body dropped bonelessly to the ground. Cat turned in bewilderment, only to find a straw dummy looking back at her, the face painted in a huge grin reminiscent of her absent charge's. She couldn't believe how well she had been fooled, the dummy having the exact same weight as Naruko, and even dressed in a pair of her dirty laundry to match her scent. She hadn't even felt the replacement technique take hold. "At least I know her training is already paying off" Cat thought ruefully as she leapt off into the night, ready to hunt Naruko down again.

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"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Kuma swore softly to himself as he tore off a section of his shirt to use as a makeshift bandage for the cut on his upper arm. It hadn't taken long for Kuma to realize he was being followed, but he wasn't able to shake his pursuers. His first idea was to simply use the exercises that Iruka had taught him to take to the rooftops to avoid the growing mob below, but there were dark shapes interspersed among the rooftops that he couldn't seem to get away from. They would attack him, flinging weapons with insanely good accuracy until he would drop back down to the streets where they would just observe his struggles. This was no way safe for him though as the drunken mob was hot on his heels, chanting "Fox Bait!" repetitively at the top of their lungs as they tried to catch him. He had initially tried to fight back, civilians being no real threat to him after all of his work in and out of class. This went nowhere though as he found out the hard way that there were drunk genin and chunin mixed in with the regular villagers. He had taken a shuriken to his thigh, and a kunai to his shoulder before he was able to use a flash bomb to put a few blocks distance between him and the crowd.

They were on his trail in no time again, doggedly pursuing him as they were directed from the shadows on the rooftops. He noticed the streets were becoming lighter as he limped along, his muscles burning form exertion. 'They've lead me back to the bars again' he realized as his heart sank, unable to think of how to escape. He stumbled out of the alley onto the main street, barely dodging a half empty bottle as it shattered above his head, showering him in it's contents and cutting his brow from the flying glass. Blood began to flow down his forehead, blinding his left eye as he looked around in a panic the escape routes all clogged with villagers chanting for his death. Their expressions deformed into a mockery of normally kind and cheerful faces, showing teeth gritted in anger and eyes high on perceived power as they finally had someone at their mercy, just as they were at the Kyuubi's mercy all those years ago.

Kuma was kicked in his ribs, one of them audibly snapping as he was sent rolling into the side of a building. The pain took his breath away, but he still leveraged himself to his feet, taking a kunai in each hand and swinging like a savage animal backed into a corner. None of the villagers could work up enough courage to test the boys defenses, but were unwilling to back down. The boy snarled, his vision reduced to a sea of blurs as his remaining eye started to have blood run into it. Kuma pocket one kunai before ripping off the remnants of his shirt, wiping away the blood before wrapping it around his forehead. His eyes darkened as he stood up straight, shoulders back as if to square off with the world. He took the hat out of his back pocket, determined to at least wear it one day if this was to be the end. A few of the villagers paled as they saw the bucket hat with the bear ears go on top of the boys head. They looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"Kuma" he heard his name screamed, the voice familiar enough to make him not immediately attack. Naruko landed in front of him, having jumped over the last of the crowd to reach her friend. She looked like she had just run the gauntlet herself if he was seeing her right. Her hair was frazzled, dried blood causing it to clump up in chunks. Her clothes were a lost cause at this point, ripped and torn to the point of barely covering her modesty and doing nothing to hide the multitude of cuts, bruises, and stabbings she had endured from everyone she had passed in her single minded pursuit to reach him. She stumbled as she moved forwards, the pain finally catching up with her as her adrenaline wore down, causing her to grit her teeth. She steadied herself before finally reaching him. She threw her arms around his chest, leaning her full weight on him as she finally realized just how exhausted she really was. Everything was ok now though, she had made it to him in time.

A blur of movement was all the warning Kuma received as a chunin rushed forwards out of the crowd, a kunai raised as he took his chance to finally end the demon that had tormented his life for so long. Naruko felt herself flung forwards to her hands and knees as Kuma sidestepped around her, no longer supporting her weight. She heard a clash of steal before there was a meaty thud, followed by a low murmuring from the crowd. She raised her head, spinning around onto her butt, only to see Kuma blocking the chunin's kunai with his own. The man's other hand, which had been hidden before, was now holding the handle of a second blade, which was buried in Kuma's right pectoral.

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Kuma stand strong against his attacker, the boy's free hand moving back as if he was chambering a punch before flying forward. There was a whoosh of air as the punch landed, then the chunin vanished before everyone's eyes. The crowd murmured as they began to look around in panic, trying to find their comrade before a faint screaming sound filled their ears. A man looked up, before calling out and pointing at the sky. Everyone looked at the direction he indicated, able to see a falling object against the backdrop of the moon. The shape soon resolved itself into the body of the chunin, the man's arms and legs flailing in panic as he screamed his lungs out. The crowd backed up, watching as the man impacted the street, the large splat indicating that he had come at least close to terminal velocity before impact. A low growl caused them to look back up at Kuma, the moon reflecting off of him in such a way that his eyes seemed to almost glow a solid white.

A woman broke and ran, followed seconds later by two other men. It soon turned into a route as the civilians ran screaming in every direction as if a spell was broken, intent on getting away with their lives intact. All that was left was a group of nine ninja, spread out from where they had stood in the crowd. Naruko was ecstatic, having never seen Kuma show power like that before. She always knew that her friend was special, but never had any idea of the kind of potential that he had just shown. Her smile slid off of her face though as her best friend didn't move from his position. With a wheeze and a gurgle, Kuma fell to his knees, his head held back towards the stars. "Did I do good dad?" he whispered before pitching backwards, his head making a stomach turning sound as it impacted the walkway.

"NO!" Naruko shouted, rushing forward. She landed on her knees in front of the boy, bending over him as she checked for life signs frantically. Kuma had stopped breathing, a thin trail of bright red blood escaping from the corner of his mouth as his eyes remained closed. "Kuma!" Naruko called out frantically, slapping his face and not getting any kind of response. She placed her ear directly over his heart, but couldn't hear the steady beat that had accompanied her off to sleep every night. She sat back on her knees, pulling the boys head and chest onto her lap as she gripped her arms around his chest. Her hair fell like a curtain around her face as she sobbed brokenly, unable to form words.

Movement on the corner of her vision caused her to look up, wiping her eyes to see the ninja start to advance. The one in the front had a sick grin on his face as he watched her grief, practically revelling in her outpouring of emotions. "It's your turn now little Kyuubi. We're going to take turns with your demon pussy before we each carve off a chunk of you to bring home as trophies!" He looked over his shoulder towards his friends, indicating towards the blonde with his kunai. "I've got the head boys, so try to keep it intact." His friends laughed cruelly as they began to advance, one going so far as to lick his lips as he looked at her with excitement in his eyes.

This was the last straw for Naruko. As the lead ninja reached forward to grab her, she threw her head back and let out a primal scream. White chakra flew from her body as she held onto Kuma's body with a death grip. The ninja began to slid back before rooting their feet to the ground with chakra, using all of their strength just to remain grounded. Naruko's eyes rolled back in her head before a flash of almost liquid chakra ran over them. When it receded, it revealed purple eyes, multiple black rings contained in them expanding out from a small black pupil. A clear bubble of chakra formed around her, growing more and more solid before the blonde unconsciously threw an arm forward and shouted "Shinra Tensei!" in a voice deeper than her normal one. The bubble flew forward in all directions, picking up the ninja and crushing them against buildings before blowing through them too. When the bubble finally disappeared, nothing was left of the square block of houses and stores, but a crater with Naruko kneeling in the center of it, still protecting her friend. The blonde had passed out in the position, unwilling to leave her friend for anything.

Four black shapes began to land on the edge of the crater before making their way forwards. They halted as they looked into the city before turning and fleeing towards the great wall in the distance. A moment later ANBU arrived, Cat heading directly for Naruko before drawing back as she saw Kuma's condition. "Medic!" she screamed out, four white cloaked ANBU landing near her, before rushing forwards. "Stabilize and evacuate to the hospital!" she ordered quickly, indicating to Kuma before picking up Naruko bridal style in her arms. "I'll meet you there and have them prep for his arrival." She disappeared in a body flicker, the rest of the ANBU left to look around bleaky at the damage, not sure even where to start investigating.

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Kuma woke up, surprised to be still be alive as he stared around the unfamiliar room. He had initially worried that he was actually dead and this was paradise, but the amount of pain his body was in could only mean he was still alive and kicking. The steady beeps of machinery and familiar tiled ceiling helped him recognize the standard room design of the hospital. He should know it well enough from the times he had to come here before for chakra exhaustion, or a training injury. His body never felt this bad before during a visit though.

He was brought out of his reflection as a black, shoulder length, haired nurse bustled in, picking up the clipboard from the foot of his bed before checking the machine next to his bed and writing something down. She wore a black kimono and didn't look any older than her mid twenties. His cough caused her to jump, bringing a hand to her chest as the shock wore off. "How are you even awake?" she said in astonishment? "You've only been out of surgery for three hours, the anesthesia should have had you under for the better part of the day."

Kuma tried to speak, only for his voice to come out as a rasping cough, his mouth drier than the desert in Suna. The nurse recognized the problem immediately, brustling over to fill up a cup of water from the sink before bringing it to Kuma and putting the straw in his mouth. He drank greedily from it, the liquid was the best tasting thing he had ever had in his life. He sighed in contentment, before trying out his voice again. "What happened?" he rasped, his voive barely above a whisper. The nurse leaned in to hear him, inadvertently giving him a view of her cleavage as her kimono dipped forward a bit. Kuma blushed and tried to turn his head away, only succeeding in moving it to the side a bit, his muscles protesting the sudden movement.

"Aren't you just too cute" the nurse cooed at him, a coy smile on her face signaling he had been caught. I'm Shizune, and I just finished helping Lady Tsunade patch you back together in the surgery." She placed the clipboard at the foot of the bed, before walking to the door. "I wouldn't be caught staring at another woman if I was you" she said as she opened the door, "She might get jealous and do something about it. I'll go let Lady Tsunade know that you're awake."

Kuma sat confused by her words before looking down his bed, only to find a head of blonde hair resting on her arms on the side of his bed. Naruko turned towards him, as if sensing him in her sleep, before letting out a loud snore and burying her face back into her arm pillow. Kuma smiled wryly at his friend, wondering why she was here with him instead of in a hospital bed of her own.

He looked up as the door opened again, this time admitting a blonde woman with a green dot on her forehead, and possibly the biggest pair of breasts he had ever seen only partially covered in a doctor's coat. She briskly walked up to him, grunting to herself as she poked and prodded at different parts of his body, every touch bringing a new round of pain and increasing his ire towards her. Just before he got the courage to start swearing at her, she spoke lowly, her eyes not leaving his shoulder as she examined the stitches revealed as she peeled back the bandage. "You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive right now. It's nothing short of a miracle and I have no idea how you are recovering so fast. You'll be out of here in weeks instead of months at this rate."

He opened his mouth to make a smart ass comment, before thinking better of it and closing it. Her smirk showed how she felt about his choice. "Thank you for saving me." he rasped, his voice already starting to sound more normal. "I'm pretty sure I actually died since I can remember hearing people talking that sounded familiar, yet also like strangers. I don't have much money since I'm on the orphan stipend, but I owe you my life and I'll find a way to pay you back."

Tsunade's clinical smile wavered for a second, before it became more natural. She leaned forward, kissing Kuma on the forehead, causing him to blush. "I appreciate the offer, but seeing you alive is all the thanks I need. Just keep growing and don't waste the life that has been returned to you."

Kuma nodded, her words hitting home as he realized how much he still wanted to do. A fire was lit in his eyes, his resolve strengthening a thousand fold. Tsunade smiled as she watched him, now assured that he would actually be ok, not just physically, but mentally too. Children could go either way after a traumatic event, some never fully recovering. Kuma gestured to Naruko with his hand that wasn't stuck in a cast, his other encased from the wrist all the way to his neck. "Is she ok? I know how she looked when she found me, and there is now way she isn't injured."

"She's fine now, just exhausted" Tsunade fudged, not willing to divulge Naruko's secret if the blonde girl hadn't told him yet. "I healed her from most of her injuries, which weren't too deep. Right now she is exhausted physically and her chakra is depleted so she needs to rest and recover it. Mentally and emotionally, she isn't all that well yet." At his frown of confusion, she elaborated, "She saw her friend die in front of her, protecting her. You don't just move on normally from that. That's why she's here," she indicated at the sleeping blonde, "instead of in her own bed. You can help her at this point more than I can. Can I trust her care to you?" She smiled at his serious nod, ruffling his hair with her hand before heading for the door. "Call if you need help with anything."

The door slammed shut, causing Naruko to jar awake. Kuma cursed the meddling doctor in his head. He knew she had done that on purpose, but he wasn't ready for this confrontation yet. He watched as the blonde raised her head up, smacking her lips as her bleary eyes looked around the room as she tried to place where she was. They panned towards him, continuing on to the wall before jerking back towards him and flying open. In a blink, Naruko was on top of him, squeezing his face to her chest as she held on for dear life. He felt water falling on his head, before the realization hit that they were tears. "Don't ever do that again!" she whispered, squeezing him harder for a moment for good measure. She leaned back, holding his head in her hands as she tilted it up so he was staring into her watery eyes. "You don't get to leave me like that ever again. I was supposed to save you, not you dying to save me!" She forced herself to calm down, her breath hitching as she brought it under control. "What the hell were you even doing out there? You know what day it was! Those assholes torment me every year for some reason on that day." He blinked in confusion, 'What happened to her eyes?' he asked himself before mentally shrugging.

Kuma ducked his head in embarrassment. Naruko had always wore her emotions on her sleeve, but he had never encountered them pointed at him when they were so raw before. He felt terrible at what had happened. He pointed towards the pile of his clothes at the corner of the room. "Bring me my holster would you and I'll show you." Naruko gave him a confused look, but grabbed the ouch, placing it on his chest as she took her seat again. "Close your eyes" he ordered, getting a pout from her as she obeyed his command. He reached into the holster, saying a quick prayer to Kami before pulling out the gift, seeing it was still unbroken. He pulled it out of his shirt, leaving it in the gift wrap, holding it up in front of her face. "Open your eyes" he said softly. She'd tell him when she was ready to. Naruko looked up in surprise at the gift he was holding out to her, taking it reverently. "Happy Birthday Naruko" he said, "This is what I was out there for. I wanted to get it before it was too late."

She opened the gift carefully, unwilling to even rip the paper as she unconsciously held her breath in excitement. The paper folded back, revealing a tiny gold fox statue. The beast was sitting up on its back hanches, nine tails waved behind it. It had a huge grin that spread from ear to ear and its eyes were tiny rubies embedded in its head. "The smile reminded me of yours" he said scratching his head as he looked away in embarrassment.

Her hand touched his face, gently turning it back towards her. Her smile lit up the room, puting the statue's to shame. "Thank you!" She shouted, flinging her arms around his neck. Naruko had leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before he even realized that she was moving. She let go of him before laying down on the bed next to him, her head laying on his stomach as she smiled at her fox. He rolled his eyes good naturedly, running his good hand through her hair, deep enough to give her scalp a massage. Naruko was snoring less than a minute later, her grip on her new statue not lessening in the slightest as she relaxed. Kuma leaned back into the pillow again, ready to shut his own eyes and begin the healing process. A minute later he opened them again frowning. She was laying on his bladder.

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Tsunade smiled softly as she watched through the one way mirror at the show the two young adults had just inadvertently put on. "Are you satisfied now that she is under control and not an actual danger to the village?" She asked to the rest of the audience as they also observed the pair.

Jiraiya gave her a thumbs up from his spot along the back wall, secretly proud of how well his goddaughter was doing in snagging the man she loved. "Beat that Fugaku and Hiashi" he muttered under his breath, giving a small fist pump.

Hiruzen nodded as well, before turning to the last of their group. "You realize that this pretty much places him off limits now. Eliminating him or entering him into ROOT to minimize his influence on Naruko won't work any longer with how deep her bond is to him now."

Danzo snorted as he tapped his cane on the floor, already heading towards the door after he saw what he needed to. "Those options were voided the moment the confrontation with the villagers happened. If their story is true, than he has begun to unlock his father's legacy and has managed to figure out how to use it with chakra. We will need to groom him just as we would clan heir because there is a distinct possibility of him starting one. We will each ensure he grows in our own ways Lord Hokage" he finished before the door was shut behind him.

Jiraiya turned back towards his teacher as the room was sealed again. "If Naruko wasn't the child of prophecy before, those eyes pretty much ensure it now. When she gets older, I'll need to take her to train with the toads so she can learn to use her power."

"Not before she is a chunin" Hiruzen laid down the law, not willing to budge on his previous decision. She needs to grow bonds with her peers that only time as a genin can provide. If she doesn't cultivate more bonds past her immediate one with Kuma, than it'll be impossible to convince her to carry her burden for the village when she is finally made aware of it." He paused, trying to recall the ANBU report. "From what I remember, the secret was almost told tonight anyways. After interrogations pulls everything from them, I want them liquidated. The fact that foreign agents were able to not only incite a riot in a bid to assassinate our jinchuuriki, but to also distract our quick reaction force for long enough to pull it off frightens the hell out of me. The village security measures will be adjusted for a higher alert level until further notice. Make sure the correct people know" he told the sage before leaving.

"Long night" Jiraiya said as he sidled up next to Tsunade. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling the stress." At the blonde's snort of confirmation he continued, going for broke. "How about we go out and get a few drinks and reset our brains for tomorrow?"

Tsunade threw her coat over a chair in the corner before donning her favorite green jacket, the word 'Gamble' stitched prominently across the back. "You're buying" she told the grinning toad sage, pulling him towards the door. "They're Shizune's problem tonight."


	5. Chapter 5

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Chapter 5: Survival, Escape, Evasion, and Recovery

Kuma ran. It had been a week since his capture and internment in Konoha General hospital. He had spent the days being subjected to various tests from the doctors and the evenings being fought over like a piece of meat as the three princesses argued over who would take care of him. The hospital staff had refused to help him, all of them stating they were ordered to keep him under watch under further notice. By the eighth day, Kuma broke. He waited for the six am morning tests to finish, knowing that he would have two hours of isolation before breakfast was served. Once alone, he wasted no time throwing his bloody clothes back on and opening the window. Placing his feet along the hospital's outside wall, he channeled the necessary amount of chakra to his feet to keep them attached to it, but not enough to hold him in place. This gave him enough traction for a controlled slide down the side of the building, descending seven stories to the ground. He rolled forwards as he reached the bottom, groaning in pain as he came back up to his feet again.

The morning air was already warming up, the day promising to be decently hot even though it was nearing the end of October. 'Part of the beauty of living in Fire Country' the boy reflected to himself as he cut through an alley, coming out onto the main street of the business district. Shops were just beginning to open up as merchants prepared for another busy day. Scents from various stands wafted over the area as fresh food was prepared for the morning breakfast rush. Kuma's mouth watered, his stomach screaming to his brain that real sustenance was needed after the forced diet of hospital poison masquerading as food that he had been subjected to. He ducked into the first open door he passed by finding himself in a small bakery. He stood at the counter for a few minutes before realizing that no one knew he had entered the building. He cleared his throat loudly, causing a surprised exclamation to come from the back room. "I'm sorry young customer" an elderly woman said as she walked through a door behind the counter as she cleaned flower from her hands, "How can I help you to…" She froze up in fright as she caught sight of the face framed in a hat with bear ears belonging to the boy in her store. Her mind screamed at her to run away as fast as she could.

Kuma recognized the look, seeing it given to Naruko many times in the past. It was the first time he had ever had it directed at him though. Disgust and anger he could handle, but fear was something he never wanted to be associated with. Thinking back to the lessons that the orphanage matron had instilled her wards, he bowed at the waist until his face was pointed at the floor. " I'm guessing you heard about what happened last week. I apologize if I've done something that scared you. I was only trying to defend a good friend from people attacking her and didn't wish to cause anyone harm." He raised back up before shoving his hands in his pockets and slumping tiredly. "I'll just go now. Have a good day ma'am." He shuffled towards the door, his stomach growling loudly enough to be heard across the room.

The woman watched as the boy walked outside, her brain warring with itself over what to do. On one hand, he was said to have murdered a ninja of Konoha and was rumored to be extremely dangerous. Her maternal instincts viciously fought back though, pointing out that the poor boy was near starving and still bandaged up from his stay at the hospital. Sighing to herself, she stuck her head out the door. "Young customer!" she shouted causing the boy to turn back towards her in confusion. "We don't have much made yet but you're welcome to choose from what we already have put out." She pointedly ignored the scowls given to her by her neighbors as she returned behind the counter, watching with a half smile as the boy wiped a line of drool with his sleeve as he looked at the different items on display.

He opened his wallet, frowning before regarding the food again with a more disciplined look this time. "I honestly never have tried most of this before so I don't know what is good yet. Do you have any suggestions ma'am?"

She scowled, "I'm too young to be referred to as ma'am." She tapped her name tag on her chest, "Just call me Mina. Now I'm partial to dango myself, but I know the sweet buns are always popular as well."

"Then I'll take two of each" the boy said as he took out the necessary amount of cash. Receiving his bag, he reached in and withdrew one of the sticks of dango. He placed it on the counter in front of the surprised young woman, "Thank you Mina-san."

"Come back any time Kuma-san" the woman said with a faint smile as she watched the boy walk out her door. He had already finished one of the sweet rolls and was starting in on the second when a shadow appeared above him. The woman blinked in surprise when an ANBU with a bear mask suddenly dropped to the ground behind the surprised boy before placing a hand on his shoulder and causing both of them to vanish in a swirl of leaves.

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Kuma found himself on top of a roof a block away from the hospital, the poor boy falling to his knees as he tried not to puke up his first real meal in a week. Sprawling on his back, he looked up at the figure looming over him. He scowled as he recognized the bear mask, "What the hell man? You leave me high and dry with the she devils earlier and now you brought me back to the nest of their queen. Do you have any idea what she'll do if she finds me out here?!" His kidnapper simply nodded before pointing across the sky to the hospital's roof. Kuma's stomach dropped even further as he followed the path the finger pointed. A single figure stood with their arms crossed on the white roof as she stared back at the pair. The green coat, blonde ponytails, and well endowed figure immediately gave away the identity of said woman and sent the boy's danger sense through the roof. Kuma scrambled to his knees, quickly crawling towards the far edge of the roof with the intent of hurling himself off of it's side and accepting whatever consequences may happen in his last ditch attempt to escape. It was all for naught though as a soft tap of a set of feet landing on the roof was heard behind him. He was lifted up by the back of his shirt, hanging uncomfortably as he stared eye to eye with the irritated head of the Konoha medical corps.

Tsunade's mouth twitched as she worked to contain her smile and stay in the proper mind frame of frustration. She had originally intended on tearing a chunk out of the wayward academy student for daring to ignore her orders, but he looked so pathetic as he swung in her grasp with his head lowered while wearing his bear eared hat that she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "You're still injured Kuma" she commented as she watched him kick futilely to stop his spinning. "I'm feeling generous today so I'll give you one chance to explain why you thought it was a good idea to ignore your superior's orders and run off from the hospital." She dropped the boy to the ground, careful to avoid aggravating his injuries any further. The ANBU nodded to her before shunshining away, though she could still detect him as he observed his charge from a distance.

"You don't know what it's like" the boy said morosely as he stared at the hokage monument. "If I'm stuck in one place then they can find me and reach me no matter what I do." Tsunade nodded her head in understanding, well aware of what it was like when you were young and worried about enemy ninja's finding a way to get to you. She could even compliment him for being aware of the inherent dangers of being a shinobi so early in his career. Her thoughts were jarred to a halt as he continued on, "I don't mind them coming around sometimes. They're my friends after all. But there isn't a single moment of privacy ever!" He turned towards the woman with his eyes watery and his bottom lip trembling. "That's why I can't stay here any longer. I need to make myself scarce before class ends and they're released."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tsunade asked as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb. "You're making it sound like you're in danger but the only ones I ever see come to visit you are the three princesses."

"Exactly!" Kuma shouted, pointing a finger at the woman in excitement. "They're there constantly! It was bad enough with just Naruko always in my bubble, but now it's like they've multiplied." He shuddered while curling up into himself, prompting Tsunade to put an arm around him in comfort as she tried to understand what was causing such stress for him. "If it was fan girls, then I'd understand the stalking. I've seen it happen to that Hyuuga a year ahead of me enough to know it's just a fact of life. But those girls always get chewed out by the serious kunoichi so the problem always regulates itself."

Tsunade nodded at the explanation, her own hate for the fan girls being the stuff of legend. "I know it isn't easy dealing with such things" she sympathized with the boy. "Girls develop faster than boys and start to explore their new feelings by doing things like fangirling. It will either go away in a few years or you'll appreciate it more as you get older."

Kuma looked out over the city as he tried to formulate how to say the next few sentences. He knew he had to form his words carefully or risk offending one of the most powerful women on the planet. "I already appreciate how girls look to an extent. I've thought that way for almost a year now. The problem is that no one ever explains how to handle fangirls that are competent too. The 'princesses' as you call them are all powerful as hell and could each kick my ass without much effort." He frowned as he heard her snort as she tried to hold in her laughter. "If you don't want to hear it then I'll just go" he said as he pushed himself to his feet and began to walk away.

She grabbed his shoulder before he could make it two steps, gently pulling him back down so he sat on the roof next to her. "I'm sorry" she apologized with a smile stretching across her face. "This is just so different from what I'm used to hearing. I'll try to be serious though. So these girls are acting like stalkers?"

Kuma shrugged as he sat cross legged, elbows on knees as he supported his head with his hands. "I don't know if I can call it that. I'm honestly friends with them, and I've helped save two of their lives in the past so I can get why they'd feel close to me. But they won't leave me alone and keep fighting with each other over me non-stop."

"So try telling them how you feel then" the blonde doctor offered up as a suggestion. "I know I would want someone I care about to be honest with me from the start."

Kuma shook his head "I've tried to plenty of times. They just play it off or ignore it and keep doing what they want to. I don't think they do it to be mean, but it's like they can't afford to show any kind of weakness in front of the other two. And I always have to watch what I say around them to an extent anyways. I won't hurt their feelings if I can avoid it."

Tsunade snorted at the chivalry that Kuma seemed to still live by. "You know they're big girls and can handle a being told something they don't like. You're not doing them any favors by protecting them from the truth."

"That's just it though" Kuma replied as he sat up straight. "I can't say that and it isn't because I'd hurt their feelings. I'm just eleven but even I know a little bit about politics. Offending the surrogate granddaughter of the Hokage, the heir of the Hyuuga clan who happen to be my landlords, or the heir of the Uchiha clan who are the city's law enforcement all lead to bad things for me. So what the hell would you do if you were in my place?" he asked as he stared up at the adult next to him with hope in his eyes.

Tsunade just stared ahead, her brain firing on all cylinders as she tried to wrap her head around the mess that was this boy's life. Simple platitudes and advice wouldn't be of any help in this case. "I have no idea…" she admitted as she stared at the hospital for inspiration, it's white walls gleaming as it reflected the midday sun's rays. Movement to her left drew her eye, causing her to find a stick of dango held out to her by the boy as he pulled a sweet roll out of a bag in his possession.

"Welcome to my world" the boy muttered as she took the treat from him. He took a bite of the pastry, chewing in silence before he felt an arm circle his shoulders. He tensed as he was pulled to Tsunade's side, only relaxing as he saw her take a bite of her dango and close her eyes in joy at the taste. Said blonde woman smiled as she felt the boy lay his head against her shoulder, offering what comfort she could for the moment.

XXXXX

Tsunade finally had a change of heart and released him with the promise that he would return in a few days for a follow up appointment. She had reminded him that he wasn't to train heavily until she had given him the all clear. He had promised to obey her, mentally crossing his fingers behind his back at the same time.

It was near three pm when Kuma finally arrived at his home. He laid his head against the door frame and shut his eyes, listening to the sound of the key sliding into the lock and the click of the bolt being drawn back. 'I'm home' he thought, excited to finally be returning to some familiarity. He came to a halt in the entryway, his eyes narrowing as he saw new throw pillows with a ramen design stitched into them sitting on his couch. Picture frames adorned the walls showing various pressed flowers. A large fan with an uchiha crest was displayed above the couch, commanding the view of anyone who entered the room.

'They wouldn't…' he thought to himself as he hurried down the hallway, neglecting to even take his shoes off. If he had, he would have noticed three additional sets of slippers set out near the shoe rack. He threw open the door to the bathroom, immediately blanching back at the overpowering smell of potpourri that assaulted his nasal passages. The side of the tub contained at least a dozen different bottles of various shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. He had only needed a bar of soap, using it for everything. He spotted the lonely bar in a soap dish left on the window sill, completely out of reach from the shower stall and therefore useless. The final hit came as he turned to leave, his reflection in the bathroom mirror causing him to examine how well he had healed up. A bad taste in his mouth prompted him to reach for his toothbrush, only to freeze as he felt more than one in the holder. A quick glance confirmed his worst fear, there were three additional ones there as well. Each of them angled against his perfectly to be considered an indirect kiss.

Kuma didn't have the heart to see what had become of his bedroom, choosing instead to go back outside and take a walk. If he was lucky, he'd wander far enough away that they wouldn't be able to locate him until he was ready to come home on his own that evening. He put his shoes back on, cursing as he realized that he had forgotten to shut his door earlier. It was one of the basic rules that was common sense to any ninja. Throwing the door open to leave, he stopped in surprise as he found two scrolls and a note sitting on his doorstep that hadn't been there a few minutes earlier. Looking around for any sign of who could have left the gift, he picked up the card and read it.

 _Use these to grow stronger. The leaves of Konoha are only allowed to florish if they are protected by strong roots.._

Kuma stared at the card in confusion before placing it in his pocket and opening the scrolls. One of them showed a taijutsu style that he had never seen before, it's stances and moves illustrated in sequences to show a few basic katas. It seemed to focus on punching power and open handed strikes to various parts of the body. The other scroll gave directions for the water walking chakra exercise, something Kuma was desperately in need of.

Stowing the scrolls in his kunai leg holster, the boy made his way towards the forest near the wall of the village. Having not graduated to genin yet, the only training fields open for Kuma would have been at the academy. Considering that was the last place he wanted to be, the boy wandered off into the trees, intent on finding a small clearing to make his own training field.

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The Third Hokage slouched in his seat, wishing he could be anywhere but his current location. The clan heads, his advisors, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all were packed in his office, much too close for comfort and tempers were beginning to flare. Tsunade had just completed her report of Kuma's medical status, revealing that he had been released early on the promise to 'take it easy and avoid training.' This brought either an eye roll or snort of disbelief from every other shinobi in the room, all of them knowing just how well ninja adhered to orders like that. "I fear that promise may be broken quicker than you wish my dear" Danzo admitted as he leaned forward, using his cane to support more of his weight as the meeting continued past the hour mark. "I had an operative drop off instructions for the water walking exercise on his doorstep moments ago."

"Damn it, you old fossil!" Tsunade snarled, clenching her fists in a futile effort to control her mounting rage. "I just finished patching him up. He hasn't even healed yet. What in kami's name could have convinced you that was a good idea?"

Danzo's expression did not change, only his eye moved as it tracked her movement. "He is a young man. They all believe that they know their body better than anyone else, as well as what it is capable of. All I did was direct him down a path that will help his growth instead of hinder it."

Tsunade was not convinced of the criple's altruism, having seen what he and his toy soldiers were capable of in the past wars. This was one boy that would not be 'recruited' into the ROOT organization if she had a say. Her path to the door was blocked though, not by ANBU but the Hokage himself. "Be at ease Tsunade" the old man assured her, leading her back to her spot by a gentle grip on her shoulder. "Kuma is under watch by his ANBU minder. He will make sure nothing serious happens to his charge." He circled back around his desk, before taking his seat again much to the relief of his spine. "There is only one more item on the agenda before this meeting is concluded. Kuma has shown a possible new blood line relating to the abilities of his father. I will be giving him clan status after he becomes a chunin and encouraging him to start a family post haste. Do any of the current clans have issue with that?"

Traditionally, the question was merely a formality due to the Hokage having absolute power in a ninja village. Thus it was a surprise when not one, but two clan heads stepped forward to dispute the claim. "Lord Hokage" Hiashi said as he bowed deeply, "Is there truly a need for a new clan to form around Kuma? He has helped the Hyuuga in the past and I feel the only true repayment would be to bring him into our clan."

Fugaku Uchiha crossed his arms as he stared at his rival with a snort of disdain. "We all know the Hyuuga feel that kuma's special abilities would compliment their own fighting style if it could be bred into them." He ignored the furious look from the Hyuuga head, instead turning towards the Hokage to plead his case. "My clan feels a match could be made between Kuma and my daughter Satsuki due to their current relationship. They have already been courting in all but name and will have continued to evolve their relationship by the time he makes chunin. We must give their love a chance to blossom."

"Now hold on just a minute!" Hiashi exclaimed as he stormed up to the Hokage's desk as well. "If we are talking about love, than my daughter Hinata has a much better stake. She was rescued by Kuma from being kidnapped and believes him to be her true love." He glanced dismissively at the Uchiha head before turning back towards his leader. "All his daughter has done is stake her claim on the first 'shiny' thing that held her interest in the opposite sex. She'll move on by the end of the year."

The next grand battle of the Konoha dojutsu rivalry was interrupted by none other than the toad sage as he pushed himself in between the men. "Gentlemen, I can appreciate both of your claims seeing as how you only have concern for your daughters to fuel this argument." Tsume Inuzuka had to cough to hide the laughter she was unable to contain from the sage's over-the-top compli-saults. Ignoring the interruption, Jiraiya pressed on. "Allow me to put your worries at ease. Neither of them will be getting the opportunity to court Kuma. My god daughter Naruko has staked her claim on him since they were children. She will be rebuilding the Uzumaki clan with him when they are old enough and that is final" he finished as he crossed his arms as if the conversation was now over.

Silence hung in the air as both clan leaders stared at the sage, unable to believe he had the audacity to deny their daughters a chance at true love. Then, as if a switch was flipped, the room erupted into chaos. The Hokage stared at the three grown men pushing each other in front of his desk, unable to believe that some of his most fearsome ninja were acting no better than children. Danzo and the rest of the clan leaders all attempted to offer their own opinions, shouting to be heard. Tsunade used the cover of chaos to quietly slip out the office door, intent on finding Kuma and making sure he was not pushing himself too hard. There were only so many places an academy student was allowed to go with an ANBU keeping an eye on him and it wouldn't take her too long to check them all.

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The focus of the heated arguments was completely unaware of it all as he sat on a dock that was built on one of the small lakes in the middle of the Konoha forest. Kuma sat in a pair of swim trunks with his feet dangling over the water, ripples barely being made as he practiced extending his chakra into the liquid and experimented with putting his weight down. He ignored the sound of an incoming ninja leaping between the trees, hoping and praying that they were simply moving on to a final destination somewhere away from him. Disappointment set in a second later as he heard the individual land softly on the grass before casually walking out on the dock. To his surprise, it wasn't one of his stalkers that took a seat next to him, but quite possibly the most powerful kunoichi in the Elemental Nations. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, fishing for information.

Tsunade smiled lightly as she saw him relaxing instead of hurting himself training. "I was worried when I heard you had received training instructions. Most young men would come close to killing themselves if it meant the possibility of learning a new technique."

Kuma simply smiled as he leaned back on his left arm, the right still held against his chest. "I don't exactly have fully movement right now. I can't practice taijutsu without popping a stitch, and that would lead to explaining to you how it happened." He shuddered at the thought. "That would be effectively risking my life for no reward whatsoever."

Tsunade pulled him into a one arm hug, reaching over to ruffle his hair much to the boy's chagrin. "I knew there was a reason I liked you so much. You know when to fight and when to fold. It's a gambling reference" she explained to his confused look before changing the subject. "So if you can't practice kata, then what are you doing?"

"Practicing my water walking" Kuma explained as he pushed one foot downwards, noticing how the water bowled around his foot instead of touching it as his chakra controlled it. "I'm not foolish enough to simply try running out into the water because I have chakra coming from my feet. I learned my lesson already with wall walking thank you very much." he placed his other foot down on the water as well, using his good arm to hold himself up as he tried to gain his footing. He watched in dismay as his feet slid across the surface as if he was stepping on ice instead of liquid water, before pulling himself back up to sit on the dock again.

"Not bad" Tsunade murmured as she watched the attempt. "You're actually having the opposite problem compared to most ninja. They use the tree exercise method to pull their feet towards the water and sink. You're actually repelling the water away making it so you can't get any traction. That isn't the right method here, but remember how you did it. It's the perfect way to move quickly underwater if you have the chakra capacity for it. Try to find a middle ground where you repel the water but still use your chakra to keep traction with it."

She paused as Kuma took her words to heart and went back to practicing. Why was she actually caring what happened to the boy instead of just checking on him medically and leaving. Keeping her distance from others was what kept her sane after the war took both her little brother and her lover away. Yet here she was with another possible apprentice in the making with the Hyuuga she was mentoring as well as another young man that she had more than just a passing interest in. If she was honest with herself, she actually cared about his future and wanted him to succeed, not just stay alive like a medic would want. She was building emotional ties again whether she liked it or not the longer she stayed in Konoha. 'Now' she thought to herself as she watched Kuma try his luck on the water again, 'I need to decide if this is what I want or if it's time to leave again.'

XXXXXX

Kuma swallowed heavily as he stared up at his apartment building. He had been standing in the street for the last five minutes, trying to psyche himself up enough to enter it. The young man was absolutely exhausted from his training, having just made it back as the sun was setting. He had been too excited at making some significant headway on water walking, refusing to quit when his body had told him to and almost hitting the point of chakra exhaustion again. It took the medic putting her foot down to force him to get dressed and head for home before she carried him. Said blonde now stood behind him, watching his indecision with a soft smile. "Go on" she said, shoving him lightly on the shoulder and forcing him to stumble forward. "It's like peeling off a band-aid. Better to just get it over with quickly." She laughed at his grumbling as he entered the building, before turning down the street to head to the nearest bar. She had some soul searching to do and had found it happened best at the bottom of a bottle.

Kuma tiptoed down the hallway, avoiding making any noise that might alert Hinata to his presence if she was home. He slowly slid his key into the lock before turning it and entering his apartment in one quick motion. The lights were all off, bringing a sigh of relief as he took off his shoes and made for his bedroom. He turned the light on as he entered the room, and stopped… and stared… Leaving the room, he walked back to the front door. He quickly leaned out and checked the apartment number, confirming to his fears that it was indeed his apartment. The bedroom was no better than the last time he had seen it. Two extra wardrobes had been shoved against the far wall of the room, each of the three now bearing a clan symbol painted on it. His comfortable twin bed had been replaced with a king sized monstrosity, leaving barely enough room by the walls to maneuver around it.

This would not stand! He was following Tsunade's advice and standing up to the girls no matter what happened… starting tomorrow. He was too fucking tired to care right now. Kuma fell face first onto the bed, worming his way up to the pillows before burying his face under one of them. Frowning for a second, he grabbed a shirt and threw it at the wall. It caught the light switch as it fell, plunging the room into darkness. He was asleep before a minute was up.

XXXXX

It was hours later when the door opened up again. This time it disgorged three females into the apartment, each looking like they had just survived a war. Dirt and blood marred each of their bodies, clothes were torn, and hair hung limply and disheveled as they continued arguing with each other. "Why the hell did you two follow me in here anyways?" Naruko asked as she turned to confront the other girls. "I don't mind that you joined me for training but you have your own damn places to live."

"Like you're one to talk" Satsuki observed as she stripped off her soiled overshirt and pants, leaving herself in a tank top and shorts. "You don't live here either. At least Hinata and I stay in the apartments on either side of here so it isn't a stretch for us to come in."

"The stuck up bitch is correct" Hinata agreed, nodding tiredly as she took off her own outer garments and dumping them in the washing machine. "Don't throw rocks in a glass house Naruko. We all came here because we know he'll be back eventually."

"What ever" Naruko mumbled as she stripped down to a her underslothes, adding her dirty things to the wash load. She was determined to train as much as possible, never allowing herself to be weak again. Her inability to defend herself had almost cost Kuma his life and she couldn't allow that to happen a second time. He was her only friend and she would do whatever was necessary to keep him safe. Satsuki and Hinata had followed her after school to her training ground, suspecting that she might lead them to Kuma. Upon discovering ehr new found resolve, they had chosen to stay and train as well, unwilling to be left behind by their rival. 'Is this what it's like to have girlfriends' Naruko wondered to herself as she brushed her teeth. 'I don't think I've ever seen Sakura and Ino acting like this towards each other so what's normal?' She looked at the other two girls as they crowded in front of the bathroom mirror. "I'm going to bed. Feel free to see yourselves out." Crossing the hallway, she didn't even bother turning the light on as she entered the bedroom. Choosing simply to throw herself on the bed instead. She was startled when she fell on something hard and lumpy instead of the soft mattress before her nose picked up a familiar scent. Her hand slowly moved upwards until it ran through a mop of hair, causing a voice she knew all too well to grumble in his sleep. 'He came home' she cried out in her head as a lone tear glistened in the corner of her eye. Wasting no time, she pulled the blanket away and threw herself down on his chest while wrapping herself around him in a death grip. Her eyes closed as she listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart and his welcoming body heat slowly bled into her.

"That bitch" Hinata muttered from the doorway. They Hyuuga heiress had planned Kuma's homecoming down to the letter in her head, from the dialogue to a quick hug and kiss shared between them. Instead the boy was passed out in the bed with the blonde slut perched on top of him with her ass in the air, completely ruining the moment. She cried out lightly as Satsuki pushed past her with a grunt, the Uchiha heiress grabbing the boys arm and wrapping it around herself before falling asleep on his shoulder. Hinata blinked hard at the sight before shrugging and moving forward herself. When in Rome...

 **A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed whether it was positive or negative. They point out things I hadn't considered before and allow me to evolve the story as I go. The rinegan was given to Naruko because I felt it didn't get too much of an opportunity to show off in the canon. Pain, Tobi, Madra, and Sasuke always seem to show only one aspect of it: emo mixed with a little bad-ass. I want the opportunity to explore what it's capable of for pranks, non-serious fights, and the like. Hopefully you feel this might still be worth your time, but if not then thanks for getting as far as you did.**


	6. Chapter 6

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Chapter 6: Rock, Paper, Explosive Tags

It was well past sunset. Konoha was silent, its residents extinguished the lights in their homes as they bedded down for the remainder of the night. Entire sections of the city fell dark, leaving only the commercial districts active as civilians and ninjas alike spent their free time eating, drinking, and partying. It made a lovely view for the blonde sanin as she sat on top of the monument, the first hokage's head her preferred spot for drinking alone. A shift in the wind was the only warning she received that her time of isolation had come to an end.

She smiled to herself as she felt the reassuring presence of Hiruzen Sarutobi's chakra envelope her like a comforting tidal wave. The old man grunted in pain as his hip popped loudly from the shunshin he had just finished. He gingerly took a seat next to her, prompting her to bring a glowing green hand to his side without even taking her eyes off of the city below them. The Hokage sighed in relief, crossing his legs before helping himself to a swig of her saki bottle. "Care to share what has you so concerned my student?" he asked gently while preparing his pipe.

Tsunade sighed to herself, a myriad of excuses or fake confessions running through her head before she ruthlessly discarded them. This conversation required truth if it was going to happen, the old man always could see right through her lies. "I should have left while I had the opportunity" she groused, frowning as she caught him suppressing a small smile beneath his hand that held his pipe. "I was done with this village. Nothing to tie me down any more. The only agreement I had to fulfill was training an apprentice to succeed where I left off, and Shizune has been more than ready to do that for years."

"So what changed Princess?" She cringed as her fellow sanin appeared next to her, the lecherous smile on his face easily able to be made out in the faint moonlight. "Did you finally have a change in heart about you and I settling down together? I might be persuaded to agree if you'd be willing to model for… Gehh!"

"Quiet pervert!" she hissed, pulling her hand back into lap after giving him a quick rabbit punch to the throat.

"Super… Pervert…" he managed to gasp out while rolling on the ground and massaging his bruised windpipe.

His sensei and teammate promptly ignored his antics, well familiar with them after decades of experience. Tsunade clenched her hands together for a moment before her shoulders sagged in defeat, unable to avoid the topic any longer. "I can't just leave them again. Not now that I'm invested." She looked out over the city, her eyes zeroing in on one specific apartment complex where she knew they were all currently sleeping. "I honestly think I may have found a new apprentice with that girl. She even has more potential than Shizune if she can master the use of her byakugan. Hiashi has already given me permission to take her on if she accepts my offer, though I think he is just hoping that it would keep her off the battlefield." She glanced sideways towards the newest addition to the monument before looking back towards the apartments. "I wouldn't mind being able to keep an eye on my goddaughter either. Can I tell her yet?"

"When she graduates from the academy" said the third hokage as he followed her gaze. "I had initially decided to wait until she had achieved chunin, but recent events have caused her to show a surprising amount of maturity that she had lacked before."

"You sure about that?" the blonde sanin asked with a raised eyebrow. Stories of Naruko's pranks over the years had become something of legend among the ninja community.

The toad sage sat back up, his injuries seeming to disappear as if they never occurred. "You know better than that Tsunade. She's convinced herself that it was her weakness that almost lead to Kuma's death. She won't listen to anyone trying to convince her otherwise. She's almost obsessed with getting strong enough to protect him now and barely focuses on anything else. That boy better appreciate just how much she loves him" he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I know for a fact that he does" Tsunade assured him, going so far as to place a hand on his shoulder. It was amusing for her to see him in over protective parent mode, though she would have to let him down gently. "They're best friends" she elaborated, "he did already risk his life for her after all."

"Best friends?" the sage echoed, his eyebrows raising towards his hairline. "We both know she won't settle for anything less than marriage. She's already stated that multiple times and she isn't even out of the academy. And don't even think of calling her a fangirl" he said quickly, cutting her off before she could speak. "We both know she isn't like that."

"She is a fangirl" the medic slowly explained, as if she was talking to a brain damaged patient. "She just isn't one that shames the rest of the kunoichi community by being weak so she isn't looked down on. The other two are no better." She paused, a smile slowly creeping across her face. "This is about her besting the Hyuuga and Uchiha in the competition to win his heart, isn't it?"

Jiraiya snorted in mirth, unable to deny the accusation. "Just a little bit. She really does have the best path to his heart from growing up together with him. And it is my job as her godfather to make sure she ends up happy."

The moment ended abruptly as one of the Hokage's personal ANBU, Weasel, materialized behind the old man in a kneeling position as he held out a scroll. The Hokage broke the seal, whipping it open with a well practiced flick of the wrist and speed reading through the contents. A seal-less fire jitsu destroyed the document before he climbed to his feet. With a quick nod to his students he vanished, on his way back to his office to return to work.

Tsunade watched him disappear before sighing to herself, intent on ripping the bandaid off and leveling with her teammate before things went any further. "I only want the best for Naruko. You know that right?" He nodded hesitantly, unsure of where she was going with this. "She's too young to know what love really is Jiraiya. Kuma is the best friend and strong support that she needs right now. She should just concentrate on that and when she's ready later on, love will be there for her."

"I guess I can see where you are coming from…" the sage agreed as he rubbed his chin. His eyes flew open as he heard her softly exhale, as if she had just accomplished some great feat. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and pointing a finger directly between her eyes. "You're just trying to push her into the 'friend zone' so your new apprentice has a better chance of landing him!"

"Hinata deserves this!" Tsunade fired back as she climbed to her feet as well to stand toe-to-toe with the meddlesome sage. "I've had to put that girl back together step by step from the emotional damage she's sustained over the years. Since she's found Kuma, she's accomplished more herself in moving on than anything I could do with another decade of effort! She's wonderful for him and he can be just what she needs. Don't get in the way of this Jiraiya, or you and I will be having problems." She crossed her arms under her bosom, cracking her knuckles to emphasize the warning.

A throat clearing interrupted the growing argument, revealing that the weasel masked ANBU had yet to leave the monument. "You both make good arguments" he observed, bowing at the waist in respect as he held their attention. He raised up while making a hand signal subtly behind his back, causing two more ANBU to land behind him. "Unfortunately you seem to have forgotten that there is a third party involved in this. Lady Satsuki deserves a chance at true happiness and has clearly stated that Kuma lies on her path towards it. We will do whatever it takes to ensure this comes to pass." The eyes of all three ANBU flashed a dark red, black commas slowly circling in orbit around their pupils. They leapt off the monument into the night, returning to their duties now that their message had been delivered.

Tsunade snorted at the showy exit before leaping off into the night herself. She would be making a surprise inspection of the hospital to see just how much work needed to be done to bring the night shift back to her level of expectations. If she was staying in Konoha, than she would have the final say in anything medical related. Maybe she should get Shizune to come too, the girl needed to hear the good news after all…

Jiraiya sat back down on the ground, leaning back on his hands to watch the sky begin to slowly lighten up with the coming of the sun. 'Life is about to get wayyy more complicated' he reflected to himself as he began to make plans.

XXXXX

Naruko sneezed again, the timing of her ambush completely thrown off as she was forced to close her eyes. The next few seconds were spent frantically dodging Satsuki's counterattack, the Uchiha princess not taking kindly to her rival having almost succeeded in sneaking up on her in their battle. She breathed a sigh of relief as her attacker was forced to break off mid jutsu to dodge a chakra coated hand aimed at her chest by the third combatant Hinata.

All three girls landed in a triangular formation, unwilling to show her back to either of her adversaries. As if by silent consensus, their guards dropped as the match came to an end. No compliments on performance were expected, and none given as each took a moment for self review.

Naruko broke away first, well aware of her flaws but determined to fix them on her own. She slowly walked back to her backpack, her body healing from the battle even as she moved. She grabbed two scrolls from a hidden compartment before heading back to the circle. The other two had already returned with their cargo as well.

This had been a not so subtle suggestion by Naruko's ANBU guard in an attempt to lower the animosity between the three girls. Rivals were more useful than enemies, but teammates were even better. They didn't have to be best friends, but starting small with a peace offering should be more than doable.

They stared at each other expectantly, unwilling to go first themselves lest they be the only one to volunteer. Channeling her Hyuuga pride, Hinata blew her fallen bangs away from her eye with a huff before standing up. "Healing paste" she explained as she handed a small jar to each of her rivals. "I made it with Lady Tsunade's help a few days ago. A little should go a long way for most bruises and cuts. It'll also stop long term scarring for anything not too deep." She took her seat again, before staring at the other two expectantly.

Satsuki went next, simply tossing a scroll towards her rivals from her seated position. They may have proven more of a challenge than the rest of her peers, but a girl from a clan like hers didn't get up for just anybody. "These are jitsu from the Uchiha clan library. My brother Itachi hinted to me that they would be useful to you two in the future."

Hinata was surprised to find instructions on the use of poison senbon as well as a poison mist jutsu. This could supplement her taijutsu with some ranged attacks, easily allowing her to become more versatile. She sent a quiet nod to the Uchiha, impressed at the level of consideration.

Naruko gasped loudly as she read through the instructions for the shadow clone jutsu and it's further improvement, the exploding clone. One moment she was seated with the scroll in her lap, the next she was standing in the middle of the circle with Satsuki in her arms receiving a bear hug.

The Uchiha couldn't fathom what had happened. It was as if an invisible force had pulled her to the waiting blonde, leaving her no choice in the matter. She spied Hinata grinning at her from over the blonde's shoulder, enjoying the Uchiha princess's uncomfortable moment to the fullest. Her eyes narrowed as her sharingan flared in the dying light, ensuring the moment was not forgotten when the opportunity for vengeance presented itself.

The blonde was ignorant to all of this, simply set on showing her appreciation for such a wonderful gift that would help her protect her precious person. Tears threatened to leak from her purple eyes before she forced them back down and put a huge grin on her face. Not forgetting who else the elitist girl had mentioned had helped, she turned towards the trees at the end of the field and waved wildly. "Thank you Itachi!" she shouted, content that her message was received even without a reply.

XXXXXX

Weasel sweatdropped from his position on the tree branch as he observed the girls, the red headed girl was looking directly at him even though he was well concealed and hiding his presence.

Cat turned her head towards him from her own position a little farther up the tree. "You actually gave an academy student not one, but two kinjitsu?" The accusation in her voice was heavy enough to curdle milk and it was directed fully at him instead of the enemy.

"Lord Hokage 'encouraged' me to pass them along" he explained quickly, using the finger quotes to add emphasis as needed. "He seemed to think that her chakra levels would allow her to use it to its fullest extent." He sighed in relief as the slight killing intent was released, while silently making a vow to stay as far away from clan politics as possible from now on.

XXXXXX

Naruko sighed to herself as she procured her own gifts from her seating area and turned back towards the other two girls. Their presents seemed so much better than hers. Hopefully they wouldn't laugh when she presented them.

"I don't have access to any clan libraries so I couldn't get something really impressive for you" she rambled, mentally chastising herself for apologizing before the gift had even been presented. "This is something I've made up in my spare time that I thought you might find useful." She turned her eyes to the ground, unwilling to watch their expressions as they read her instructions.

"Naruko…" Satsuki's voice trailed off, as if unsure of how to finish her sentence.

'I knew it' the redheaded girl thought in shame. 'I'll never be allowed to join the exchange again.'

"This is amazing!" Hinata exclaimed, causing the jutsu's creator to jerk upwards in surprise. "Leaking excess chakra from your hands to cause visual distortion to dojutsu users is the perfect counter!" She looked up from her scroll, "I don't know why you made a jutsu like this, but I want to see it work!"

"She made it to counter us in a fight" Satsuki observed drooly as she scanned the scroll again with sharingan active. "I confess to being curious to see it in action too though."

Naruko bit her lip in trepidation, before hanging her head in sorrow. "I can't use it effectively right now" she confessed. "Ever since the attack when I got these new eyes, I can see chakra way more cleary all around me. It's how I saw Itachi so easily" she said with a nod to the treeline where the ANBU eavesdropped on the conversation. "The only time I tried using it after the change, I was seeing spots worse than if I had stared at the sun. It needs to be reworked if a dojutsu user wants to use it without messing their own eyes up as well."

"That sucks" Satsuki muttered before turning her sharingan off and on again a few times to make sure to herself that she still had control over the ability. She noticed Hinata doing the same thing with her byakugan, the blood vessels around her eyes rising to the top of her skin before sinking back down again.

Making a decision, she turned to Naruko with sense of resolve firming her shoulders. "You need to fix your chakra control until you can turn off your dojutsu Naruko. It's a weakness that you can't afford to have." She held up her hand, stopping the angry redhead's response before she could get going. "We will help you" she said indicating herself and the lesser Hyuuga.

"Of course!" Hinata chirped, eager to move the conversation on as she saw Naruko's eyes begin to tear up again. "We can't have her weakness put Kuma in danger after all."

"Agreed" Satsuki said with a nod, "For Kuma."

"For Kuma" Naruko echoed the others, unable to stop a warm feeling rising up in her chest as she watched the other two girls begin to prepare for another spar.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Spring had come to Konoha, and with it came warmer weather and earlier mornings. Not the most ideal situation for the ninja who had tied one on the night before and wanted nothing more than a few more hours of sleep. What it was good for though, was celebrating the 'Springtime of Youth' ™.

"YOUTH!" The shout echoed over the rooftops, louder than the attack sirens that had just been tested the week before. Birds took to the sky in alarm. The startled avians flight path went directly over the Hokage Tower, defecating as they gained altitude to escape the danger. The Third Hokage facepalmed as he watched his windows become smeared with bird crap, the room having just been deep cleaned the night before by his ANBU team in the standard sweep for bugs.

Sarutobi calmly walked out of his office, taking the flight of stairs up towards the roof. He joined his two advisers who had already arrived at the platform overlooking the city. No words were spoken, the routine having become well established over the last few years.

His eyes squinted as he scanned for the enemy to all who would sleep in. There! In the distance, a single figure stood on top of a tree, it's arms stretched towards the sun in celebration. Homura's hands came together in the bird sign, his cheeks puffing out before he spat a gigantic ball of water into the air. Koharu took over from there, her hands flying through signs to shape the water into a colossal dragon that could circle around the tower with room to spare. Sarutobi having been able to skip both the chakra and shape manipulation thanks to his teammates, concentrated on giving the jutsu purpose and direction. The dragon's eyes flared a malevolent yellow, gaining a look of almost intelligence as it turned to focus on the distant figure. It threw its head back and gave a roar that shook the surrounding windows before it charged off after it's soon to be victim.

The target had just started to bellow out it's traditional cheer for a second time when it noticed that the day had suddenly become darker, as if the sun had chosen to go back to bed for a few more minutes. A sixth sense prompted him to check over his shoulder, giving him just enough time to see the colossal water dragon that was mere feet away from completing its attack run. The youthful bellow was replaced by a girlish scream, only to be drowned out in an explosion of water as the jutsu found its target.

Sarutobi watched as the body flew off into the distance, until it was lost among the trees of the forest that bordered the village. He turned back towards the tower entrance, observing his team of three ANBU bodyguards as they conversed in hand signals before each held up a set of fingers. Nine, nine, and seven. The Hokage frowned at the last one, the ANBU shrugging before holding up the hand sign for 'distance' in explanation for the lesser score.

"Don't worry Hiruzen," a hand patted his shoulder softly in a comforting gesture as his friends/advisers joined him on the walk back to his office. "I'm sure it's just the angle the dragon hit him at" Koharu assured him as she took his arm in her own as they continued on their way.

"Of course it was" Homura's snarked from behind them as he followed his friends, content to be the formation's 'rearguard'. "Old age catching up had nothing to do with it at all."

The Third Hokage simply rolled his eyes as he tuned out his friends' bickering as it began to pick up again. Some things never changed.

XXXXXX

Kuma cursed as he strained to pull his body out of the lake again. He shook himself to remove any excess water that he could before taking off his hat to wring it out. It just wasn't his day today. No matter how much he wanted to train that morning, he just couldn't pull his mind away from the drama that surrounded him to concentrate.

Life had returned to normal in the weeks following the attack on Naruko. He had initially been inconvenienced by the cast immobilizing his right arm as it healed, having to reteach himself to use his non dominant hand to perform all of his day-to-day tasks. This had been a blessing in disguise though, now that he could look back on it. The young shinobi was well on his way to becoming ambidextrous, with the ability to switch angles in taijutsu on the fly instead of being restricted to only one avenue of attack.

That had been the upside to his injury. The downside to it was what it had done to his three friends. Each of them had begun to withdraw a bit from day to day life, suppressing their emotions as they went about their normal activities. They would wake up early each day now, sometimes not even waiting for breakfast before they would head out for training before they needed to attend the academy. The normal fights over who got to sit with him still occurred every day, but now almost with an underlying sense of urgency that hadn't been there before.

Kuma knew he was reading the situation correctly when Iruka had stopped him from leaving after class, trying to find out what the issue was. The teacher had noticed that the Three Princesses had begun to listen to his classes with an almost fevered intensity. The difference though was where Sakura and Ino would take notes on his lectures to get better grades on the tests, the Princesses would ask questions on how to apply the lessons to actual ninja life. This was compounded by the fact that they absolutely refused to attend the kunoichi only classes, Naruko walking out on the flower arrangement class in disgust followed soon after by Satsuki and Hinata. To make matters worse, their actions had the rest of the hopeful kunoichi questioning the value of said classes, prompting a review from the jonin commander and his staff.

After class ended, they would accompany him back to his house before leaving once again for their own training. They left separately most days, intent to train individually or with their own clans. Yet more times than not, they would stumble back in together covered in bruises and dirt as if they had just fought as a team against an overwhelming force of enemy shinobi. He did his best to ignore their state, concentrating on his own training that he could do while on convalescence and working to keep his home clean and life in order.

Their response to danger had escalated as well, sometimes to levels that would be considered excessive even by veterans of the last shinobi war. Kiba had made another attempt on Kuma during the lunch break a week after the boy had returned from the hospital. The feral student saw his opponent as easy prey while injured, sure that this time he would win the battle for dominance. Kuma had quickly dissuaded him of the idea, dodging until Kiba over committed with a powerful swipe before sweeping the feral boy's feet and pinning him in the dirt. All the wrestling with Naruko had really started to pay off, allowing Kuma to easily dominate his weaker opponent into an one-handed pressure point hold that had his opponent begging for mercy.

This was the end of it as far as both boys were concerned. Both picked themselves up from the dirt, shaking hands after a moment of hesitation before Kuma invited his new companion over to where the rest of his friends sat eating as they watched the spectacle. It was with some confusion when he answered the door to his apartment later that afternoon, finding Kiba's mother at the door asking if he had seen her son since school had got out. He had answered negatively, offering to accompany her in the search out of concern for his new friend. Tsume smiled softly before declining, saying she could search faster on her own. She gave his head a quick scratch before taking back off down the street, a large dog with an eyepatch following closely behind her.

What had happened afterwards had never been confirmed. Kiba refused to talk about it, showing up the next day at school with a fresh set of bruises and a noticeable limp. He offered Kuma an easy smile before making himself scarce as the Three Princesses entered the class to take their usual seats. Rumor had it that he had been found in a cage at the animal shelter, tied up and beaten unconscious. None of the girls admitted to taking part in the assault, but the Kuma had noticed the ANBU in the area seemed to multiply for the next few weeks until things calmed down again.

His chakra control had skyrocketed after becoming his main focus while disabled. Thanks to his nearly obsessive need to perfect it, he would barely make it to his bed before passing out from near chakra exhaustion, only to be woken later in the night as he was joined by three females intent on using him as a body pillow and source of heat. They clung to him in their sleep as if afraid that he would disappear from their grasp, yet they'd be gone when he woke up in the morning, their training already starting hours ago.

He had gotten used to Naruko clinging to him in the past as they grew up in the orphanage, able to all but ignore her in favor of sleeping. This wasn't something he could repeat now unfortunately. All three of the girls had started to undergo growth spurts again that had nothing to do with height as they approached their teenage years. The young shinobi had become acutely aware of the developing curves that had begun to press into him as he lay in his bed, yet helpless to do anything about it. None of the girls seemed to even notice the change, practically insisting on violating his personal space whenever possible and seemingly ignoring his uncomfortable reactions. This had led to the poor boy looking perpetually tired, his eyes becoming even more pronounced as they became ringed with dark circles.

The lack of sleep had led to the issues he was having now. What should have been a taijutsu session on top of the lake had turned into an impromptu swim as the shinobi in training couldn't muster the concentration necessary to stand on top of the lake's surface.

'Take it slow' he reminded himself as he lowered back into the beginning stance. His fist swung out in a practiced hook, before his other hand was thrust forward open palmed. He shifted to the left, pushing chakra into his feet to send him in a controlled skid across the water's surface as he moved towards his next imaginary opponent. A sudden clearing of a throat from the shore abruptly pulled him from his battle rhythm, startling him enough to cause him to sink again.

He had barely sunk to his waist before the back of his shirt was grabbed in a firm grip and he was pulled into the air before being set down on top of the lake again. "Yosh!" Green was all Kuma could see as he looked up at the large muscular man covered in green spandex with a bowl haircut and a flashing smile that gleamed in the sunlight. "The gods have seen fit to balance out my karma from the unjust attack upon myself this morning with the wondrous sight of a fellow taijutsu practitioner!" He shot out a thumbs up to the boy to put him at ease, promptly ignoring the fact that it had the opposite effect as the boy slowly began to inch away. "What is your name and what is the style you're using?"

"My name is Kuma Mr. Shinobi" the boy said with a slight smile at the man's antics. He had never known anyone to try that hard at being upbeat and personable. "My style doesn't have a name though. It was delivered to my doorstep with some basic moves written down and instructions to create my own way to fight. That's what I'm trying to do now while working on my chakra control now."

"I am Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast Might Guy!" the man boomed, his voice so powerful that it sent faint ripples across the pond Kuma was standing on. "Tell me Kuma… Your skills show you are a cut above the rest. Would you consider yourself a natural genius or a genius of hard work?"

Kuma was taken aback by the question, unsure of how to respond but knowing there were definite right and wrong ways to do so. "I'd say neither Guy-san. I wasn't born smart and I'm not a genius one way or the other." His eyes trailed down to the water in thought, watching fish swim by followed by three others. "I'm doing this for two reasons," he explained, before smashing his fist into his other palm. "This is my way to pay homage to my father who helped protect myself and Konoha until his final moments. I also have precious people to keep safe and I'll train until I'm tough enough to make sure it happens!"

"That's the spirit!" Guy shouted, giving a thumbs up to the boy with tears running down his cheeks. Manly tears of winning and victory. "I've recently taken on an apprentice that works harder than the rest of the academy put together. He is a splendid student and will go far in life if he continues to work so hard. Would you like to join him in training?"

"I guess that couldn't hurt…" Kuma trailed off, feeling as though he had just signed a deal with the devil. In a flash he was thrown over the side of Guy's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Let us be off!" the Green Beast shouted, his voice sending the birds into the air once again before he disappeared to the normal eye. Fantails of water shooting up on either side of a trail across the lake was the only thing to mark his passage as he rushed off to introduce his current student to the new prospect.

The ANBU Bear sweat dropped from his spot in the trees as his charge was taken off by the spandex clad, self appointed motivational coach of Konoha. Guy had signaled to him which training field they would be going to, ensuring no pursuit would be needed. "I think I'll just go report in to the Hokage…" he said aloud as he hopped off in the direction towards the Hokage Tower… slowly… "That poor boy has no idea of the hell that awaits him."

 **A/N: Sorry about the slow updates guys n gals. I'm working through a bad case of writer's block and discovering Archer hasn't done anything to help with my attention span either.**

 **Character building abounds as some people make hard choices, others begin to redefine their relationships, and yet others … well, lets just say it'll be a long painful road for one lucky boy. He'll come out of it pretty ripped at least.**

 **Still haven't given up on additional pairings either, though the serious ones have obviously already been set. If you have suggestions about either them, or just story plots please feel free to let me know.**

 **Thank you for reading and here's hoping the Seahawks can actually do better this year. Please God, let them have a running game this time…**

 **P.S: No I haven't given up on 'Like the Galaxy'. That one is the next to have a chapter released.**


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